Chris Saul's Blog

Wednesday October 15, 2008

Speed up, slow down

I was interested to read this article, which states that the speed limit on the Dubai-Al Ain road will be reduced from 160Km to 80Km.

It used to be 120Km, but was raised after people complained they were getting speeding tickets. Now it appears to have swung right down again.

My feeling is that 80Km is too low. You'll have a mix of people ignoring it completely, regardless of radars, coupled with people driving at the speed limit. A return to 120Km, combined with a police presence, enforcing proper driving standards at any speed, would be welcome. Driving to Al Ain at 80Km would mean three hours of mind-numbing pootling along in a straight line on an often near empty road. Without cruise control, it'd take a strong will not to find your speed creeping up and up.

When the speed limit on Sheikh Zayed Rd was reduced to 100Km, I welcomed it, predicted problems for a while, followed by acceptance and a safer road. We definitely have a safer road now. I can hardly believe that we all used to race along at 120Km, with the usual nutters whizzing by on the hard shoulder at 160Km. That said, a lot of the more dangerous driving occurs during rush hour, when people are moving at way below the speed limit, but are either driving in the wrong lane at the wrong speed, cutting in and out of lanes, not using their indicators, pushing in, etc. These guys deserve a strong police presence.