Roundabouts ‘only as good as the drivers’

Readers discuss driver behaviour on roundabouts. Other topics: women's goals, homework burden, Gulf airlines and e-cigarettes.

Readers discuss the best way to improve safety on multi-lane roundabouts. Ravindranath K / The National

Your news story, Motorists in UAE must learn better lane discipline (March 19), uses the example of the roundabout near Carrefour on Airport Road.

I go through this roundabout twice a day on my motorbike and I consider it to be extremely dangerous.

In my experience, most drivers don’t seem to know the difference between give way and stop. When the roundabout is busy, they will try to go because they don’t want to lose time.

Most of them forget to signal when they want to exit, don’t stay in the correct lane and – worst of all – are often using their mobile phone at the time.

Education and prevention is the best solution to this.

Gérald Bau, Abu Dhabi

Yes, this is a large roundabout but if they put in better road signs that showed which exit goes to where, then it may reduce the likelihood of drivers making a misjudgement. There are signs now but most drivers can’t see them clearly.

Really, the UAE has created a good road network but some desperate drivers are not giving space to other drivers. They seem to have no patience.

What is the solution? I would support heavy fines for those who don’t drive properly.

Jaya Ravi Bhat, Abu Dhabi

I’ve never found this roundabout to be a problem.

I have always found the people driving around it to be the problem.

Name withheld by request

Women should aim higher than just bank notes

Rym Ghazal's column (Show me the money, with a woman's image on it, March 19) asks which Arab women might appear on bank notes in this region, if we follow the trend in the US to campaign for women on the $20 bill.

In my view, the US doesn’t need to put women’s faces on dollar bills to empower women. Give her the president’s chair instead. That’s something that has already been done in Asia and the Middle East.

Nabila Usman, Dubai

I would suggest that Queen Rania of Jordan or Princess Haya might be good candidates.

Sabrina Mansour, Dubai

Queen Nefertiti or Queen Hatshepsut from Egypt would be excellent choices.

Yule Bron, Abu Dhabi

A definite candidate should be Queen Balqees.

Hala Khalaf, Abu Dhabi

Homework sets kids up for life

In reference to the news article, Fujairah parents say children are assigned too much homework (March 19), my view is that children today have to learn more than in previous generations.

Instead of moaning about it, parents should find ways to help them through it so that their chances of being successful in life are increased.

Dave Pryce, Dubai

Gulf carriers are simply better

With regard to the news story, Emirates Airline president denies US rivals' charges of government bailout over fuel losses (March 19), I would have thought that surely the American carriers getting their government to block other airlines is an indirect form of financial support.

The Americans are just crying as usual mainly due to their poor customer service and old aircraft. If they improved their fleet and service, customers would fly with them.

The Gulf carriers all provide great service on great planes and that’s why people fly with them. Usually they are not the cheapest, so if they are getting subsidies, they have a funny way of using them as it is not reflected in their fares.

Brett Pearson, Abu Dhabi

As if no American company would ever receive a government bailout...

Majdel Musa, Dubai

Nicotine is not the danger drug

Dr Abdul Razzak Al Kaddour, the doctor quoted in your story UAE doctors warn against e-cigarettes (March 18) should be aware that while it is true that nicotine is a highly addictive substance, it is not the main cause of cancers and other smoking-related diseases.

Nicotine is just the addictive substance. It’s all the other substances that you find in real cigarettes that are highly harmful.

Your story says e-cigarettes are banned by the Ministry of Health because scientific evidence has not conclusively shown they are a safe alternative to smoking but I have seen studies that suggest they are safer.

Vanessa Bokanowski, Dubai