Education is key to making the roads safe for all

Readers discuss how to make UAE roads safer. Other topics: cold callers, Philippines election and water bottles.

Readers debate the role education can play in cutting the road accident rate. Pawan Singh / The National

With regard to your editorial (Containing the allure of speed, May 8), my view is that the answer lies in education, education and education. We should teach drivers properly right from the start.

Having a broad range of driving styles here is exactly why we need more education. In the UK, where I’m from, we have very high driving standards, road courtesy and road rules that we obey – because that’s how we are taught.

Kim Marsh, Abu Dhabi

We should stop giving out car loans to youngsters, many of whom apparently don’t seem to know to hold a steering wheel properly.

We’ve had enough of so-called education. Many people are fed up with this message and are giving it a deaf ear, so there needs to be something else.

Too many drivers on our roads have different mindsets and what makes it worse is the ability of holders of international licences to easily transfer their driving licence to a UAE one. The result is they drive how they would back home.

It’s simple: when in Rome, do as the Romans do – and that means driving to UAE laws.

I believe the education out here is up to the mark and that those who rant about the standard of driving instruction do not have a valid point.

The best practice would be to have a much greater presence of police patrols on the roads doing surprise checks, rather than waiting for an accident to happen.

Mathew Litty, Dubai

Television commercials that show graphic road accidents work well, but unfortunately with most households here having pay TV and with over 700 channels to pick from, how would you capture the required audience?

One answer might be to have compulsory viewing of these commercials for senior high school students.

Anthony Edwards, Abu Dhabi

Try making aspiring drivers sit in front of a one-hour video depicting death, devastation and sorrow caused by bad driving.

Myles Sant-Cassia, Dubai

Cold callers ‘buy phone numbers’

After reading Michael Simkins' column (Sweet words from cold callers get me steamed up, May 8), it supports the case for stronger privacy laws.

As soon as I had my first UAE mobile number, I started getting cold calls. My only guess is that lists of active mobile numbers are sold to companies.

This is something I’d never experienced when I was in Australia.

Chris Reid, Dubai

For two years I have been trying to stop being sent promotional texts from du. They keep promising but then they keep sending me their spam.

Is it ignorance, incompetence or total stupidity?

Wiltrud Matthes, Dubai

Overpopulation and poverty

In relation to Overseas Filipino workers: 'We need a president who will bring us home' (May 3), I will just put this out there: if the rate of population increase in the Philippines was lower, there would be better salaries and living conditions so they would not have to work abroad.

Overpopulation in underdeveloped economies is a major factor causing poverty, especially when those countries are plagued by corruption and uneven distribution of income.

This applies to the Philippines, Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan and India etc.

Gianmaria Vidale, Dubai

The great news for the Philippines is that their country is experiencing rapid economic growth and perhaps more of them will be able to live in their own country and be close to their families.

I don’t believe birth rates there are the key factor.

Michael Dowds, Dubai

Time for a new bottle material

With regard to your article, Bottled water 'more harmful than UAE's tap water' (May 3), unfortunately the big reusable water bottles are made of polycarbonate, identified by the triangle symbol with the number seven inside. This is the type of plastic that can involve bisphenol A, which has been the cause of health concerns. Most small plastic bottles are made of PET resin, which doesn't feature bisphenol A.

Maybe companies that supply drinking water in large refillable bottles should change their bottle material.

However tap water is not necessarily the answer. Water filters at home need maintenance and, if neglected, can make water quality much worse.

Armin Majer, Dubai