Abu Dhabi // Just a few minutes after she pulls on to a motorway for the first time, Ayah Helwani's trip comes to a violent end.
Her vehicle is rammed from behind while she is trying to overtake. But luckily for Ms Helwani, 18, the crash takes place only on a computer screen.
Instead of a trip to the hospital, she gets a report detailing what she did wrong; instead of reliving the accident's horror in her mind, she can watch a replay in slow motion.
The experience is all part of a driving simulation at the Emirates Driving Company in Musaffah.
"My first time and I got in an accident," Ms Helwani said ruefully. "I didn't see [the other car] because it was in my blind spot."
She is one of about 500 student drivers who are gaining valuable experience each day behind the wheel in 11 simulators, facing bad weather and reacting to unexpected obstacles. The goal is to give them a taste of reality on motorways.
The technology exposed them to all sorts of road and weather conditions. There are also other hazards, such as the odd camel wandering across the road.
"They will not get this type of education during their [real-world] training because there is no fog nowadays and they have to drive in rain, but there is no rain," said Moamer al Ghazalfi, the head of the theory section at the driving school.
The routes the students travel on the simulator look familiar: they have been programmed using images of Abu Dhabi's streets and even include the famous gold-and-white taxis that, as in real life, switch lanes without warning.
Three screens create a peripheral view and digital mirrors make it possible to keep track of vehicles approaching from behind. Students faced 36 scenarios on the roads, including night driving, and must react accordingly or face a virtual collision.
Conditions are realistic: for instance, cars will take longer to stop on a wet road than a dry one. Scrapes the learners might face are crashing into the rear of a stopped taxi or losing control of their vehicle. Fog and darkness impair visibility.
The simulator cannot, of course, replace a real-life driving experience, which is why it just part of a learner's training, Mr al Ghazalfi said. "You cannot come to the simulator if you have not had any training before."
Students spend two to six hours in the simulator, depending on their ability. First, though, they must pass a theory exam and complete some practical training, including parking, tunnel driving, overtaking and reading traffic signs. Students also go out on the roads with an instructor to experience regular traffic.
Although Ms Helwani protested that if she had been in a real car, she could have checked her blind spot and avoided the accident, she said the experience was useful.
Yasser Syed, 19, said that when he used the simulator, the monitors on the left and right helped create a realistic driving experience.
"What they do is right and what they are teaching, if it is implemented, it actually comes in quite handy," he said.
mchung@thenational.ae
To catch up on The National's campaign for safer roads, visit www.thenational.ae/roadsafety
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The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
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A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Poacher
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
SPECS
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The%20specs
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SPECS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5