Farewell to the Sunnymen
No longer will motorists be forced to sit behind white Nissan Sunnies doing 40kmph in the fast lane of Sheikh Zayed road, beads swinging from their rear view mirrors. A minimum speed limit of 60kmph is being imposed:
RTA officials said yesterday that the decision was taken to increase road safety after a study revealed that disparity between the speed of vehicles on certain roads is one of the main factors that causes accidents. The maximum speed limit on the emirate’s highways is 120kph.
Less flashing, more dashing.
RTA officials said yesterday that the decision was taken to increase road safety after a study revealed that disparity between the speed of vehicles on certain roads is one of the main factors that causes accidents. The maximum speed limit on the emirate’s highways is 120kph.
Less flashing, more dashing.
16 Comments:
Blimey!
Who's the poor sod that has to explain to an illiterate driver what a minimum speed limit is?
How do you enforce it for guys on the pull?
RTA officials said yesterday that the decision was taken to increase road safety after a study revealed that disparity between the speed of vehicles on certain roads is one of the main factors that causes accidents.
This is actually very sensible. The greatest danger on SZR is not people driving stupidly fast in itself, it is people driving stupidly fast whilst others drive stupidly slow. Given that, unlike in the UK, there is no requirement for drivers to move into the furthest inside lane unless overtaking, you'd end up with someone doing 60kph in the outisde-but-one lane, and to overtake him you'd have accelerate to 140kph to merge with the traffic on the outside lane.
People who crawl along unnecessarily in an outside lane when the lanes to their insides are empty should be stipped of their license on the grounds that they have no idea how a road system works.
Oh yes, great move, except 60 kph is way too slow for SZR. The minimum should be 80. Even that minimum would leave a difference of 20 to 40 kph - and that's just between cars actually obeying the speed limits.
Good news.
Though with most laws in the UAE, there's no point making it a law unless it's enforced as one.
Just wait till they put signs with 60 Min / 80 Trucks / 120 Max, in order to cause mass confusion. Can you enforce a minimum speed limit with a camera? If not, it will be as useless as seatbelt laws, registration laws, hard-shoulder laws, etc. What a joke!
Well, they also said that this law is not applicable in case of traffic jams... Or in case sufficient distance can not be maintained...
Now that's a gray area...
This is positive law isn't it? I mean I have seen souls from a certain community - drive, ahem! Nissan Sunny's on SZR at super snail speeds whilst on the fast track, whilst the whole of Dubai is backed up?
I agree with Tim (see there is always a first) - this is good change for drivers in the UAE. Maybe now most "Nissan Sunny's" can use the 4th gear and perhaps more :)
what do you do in traffic?
rosh, the sunny has a gear? :)
but yeah, I'm all for a minimum speed limit.
I just don't understand why there aren't more traffic police here.
damn! my car doesn't shift into fifth anymore. But I guess I can somehow make 60.
But I am saving up a little bit of money so that I can buy a Range Rover Sport and they'll finally let me into Diyafah at one in the night and justify parking in the middle of the road with hazards on.
No longer sit behind a slow vehicle in the outside lane? Who are you kidding. Tim is correct in so much that cars do not move to the right unless they wish to undertake. Minimum speed limits do exist around the world, however the basic standard of driving is higher. Vehicles do need to keep to the right unless overtaking. I visited the RTA last week and they are moving in the right direction through research. They have not implimented this yetm they have merely announced it; this in itself is to research reaction.
Adam Kechil Dip DI
Member Institute of Master Tutors of Driving
what if, If someone got a tire puncture and has to drive?
These are the kind of questions ppl shud ask!
Hello!
First time i visit your blog, and i really like it - Keep up the good work!
Me thinks I will be just fine with this new rule.
zooom zooom
hello
I think it's a first step in a very long way.
They should emplement a minimum speed for EACH lane, in order to emprove safety, plus the minimium of 60km looks absurd to me on a highway, it should be at least 80 s John said.
Just a comment. I moved from Dubai to Vancouver 2 weeks ago.
You know what the speed limit is here..? 50kph. No speed cameras and no one drives over 80. I have yet to be late to ONE appointment and to come across a bad traffic jam that was not because of a traffic accident (which got cleared up in 30 minutes)
Its not always about the speed limit. Drivers here are courteous, no cutting lanes, no speeding, no flashing lights, no honking, people stop for pedestrians and the traffic signal, and I have yet to see ONE traffic cop.
I even stopped at an intersection where there was no oncoming traffic (meaning I could go left), but I didnt know if I should go through. Waited there for 30 seconds while the people behind didnt even honk once. Finally the guy behind got out of the car, walked up and asked if I had a problem with the car.
I dont miss Dubai one bit..!! :-D
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