Key to defensive driving is keeping calm and patient

Response rather than reaction is required in dealing with the dangerous motorists.

Fatima Suhail feels much more confident behind the wheel in the UAE after taking defensive driving training. Reem Mohammed / The National

DUBAI // Impatient drivers, tailgaters and flashing lights -- it is all in a day’s drive for motorist Fatima Suhail.

Ms Suhail, a 26-year-old who got her licence in June 2013, said she often finds herself being pushed out of her lane by fellow motorists, some of whom swerve at her.

In the time since she started driving, the Pakistani expatriate says she is yet to muster the confidence to drive on the leftmost lane, known as the “passing” or overtaking lane.

“I’ve had fellow drivers rolling down their windows to express their anger when I try to change lanes,” she said.

Motorists who tailgate, cut the queue and squeeze into a lane, are unmindful of the risks they cause themselves and other road users, Ms Suhail said.

As tempting as it may be to react, do not let dangerous drivers push you into bad choices, one road safety expert said.

"If you are the person being tailgated, do not escalate the problem by engaging in a power struggle and challenge the tailgater by stamping on the brakes," said Robert Hodges, chief operating officer at Emirates Driving Institute in Dubai.

“Calmly do your mirror and shoulder checks, indicate clearly and, if it’s safe, move over into the next lane to your right. Drive smoothly and let them pass.”

Drivers should not stay in the “fast lane” just because they are “at the speed limit”, Mr Hodges said. “It is not your job to control the speed of other drivers and doing so may cause them to become aggressive. You should always drive in the right-most available lane. Use the left lane for overtaking only, then move back to the right.”

Driving, he said, requires good and calm attitude.

“Never react angrily to another driver,” Mr Hodges said. “Just always keep calm and let the annoyance pass.”

Globally, 95 per cent of all traffic accidents are a result of human error and unsafe practices, Mr Hodges said. This means motorists need to work on their driving, improve their skills, and seek to gain awareness on aspects that will improve the safety of all road users.

"A seasoned and safe driver takes responsibility not only for their own safety but also of others around them," he said.

Earlier this month, in an effort to master the UAE's roads, Ms Suhail completed a defensive driving course offered by the institute.

Before getting behind the wheel for a practical training session on the road, she attended a theory lesson and a briefing on vehicle safety and maintenance checks.

Ms Suhail says she is confident she now has mastered not just the tasks involved in driving but also the skills needed to avoid accidents and deal with emergencies.

“I’ve learnt to maintain my speed and not be bothered about the cars around me,” she said. “I should avoid stepping on the brakes very often, plan ahead of time, observe and be aware of my surroundings.”

Patience, respect and tolerance are needed to improve the driving culture in the country, Ms Suhail said.

“Unless drivers learn to respect and empathise with each other, instead of being selfish and refusing to cooperate, we cannot expect our roads to get any safer or better,” she said.