Road Safety During Ramadan
With the majority of the region fasting for Ramadan, tempers are more likely to rise, so road safety has been highlighted as a particular area of concern during this time.
According to road safety experts, traffic accidents and fatalities increase during the month of Ramadan.
Ramadan is a very special time. For 1.2 million Muslims, the holy month of Ramadan started on Monday 6th June. This is a time marked by prayer, dawn-till-dusk fasting, and good deeds.
Believed to be the anniversary of Prophet Muhammed revealing the first verses of the Quran, 1,400 years ago; each day of the month for the 30-day religious period, Muslims avoid eating, drinking, and smoking from sunrise to sunset to focus on spirituality and remind them of those less fortunate.
Risks to Road Safety…
Despite the good beliefs of spending time with the ones close to you, this causes a lot of traffic.
Fasting; especially in the hot summer weather that the region has over the next few months, can cause dehydration, low blood sugar, exhaustion, over-steering, and increased levels of impatience, resulting in low attention span, blurred vision, increased reaction times, and overall, reckless driving.
UAE health and road officials have recommended plenty of sleep to avoid fatigue and for people to pull over immediately if they feel a little drowsy.
Thomas Edelmann, founder of Road Safety UAE has said:
“It is of the utmost importance to know the effects the Ramadan lifestyle can have on our own behaviour, as well as on the behaviour of other traffic participants.
All traffic participants, like motorists, pedestrians, motorcycle riders and bicyclists, must also be extra careful in this time slot.”
Top 5 most important road safety tips for Ramadan:
- Be aware of your own limitations
- Watch out for other traffic participants potentially under the same limitations
- Expect the unexpected – we all must drive defensively
- Keep a sufficient distance between their vehicle and don’t tailgate
- Plan your schedule properly and leave early to avoid the need for rushing and speeding
- Stay off the roads at sundown, if you can avoid it
- Always wear your seatbelt – Ramadan is a good time to start this habit
- Use your lights during dawn.
- Use public transport or taxis.
For people in the UK who are participating in Ramadan, you can follow this UK Global Road Safety link »
It is important as an employer to understand that some of your employees will have different religious beliefs and a heightened awareness and caring attitude are needed during this time.
If you would like to adopt online (e-Learning) courses to ensure a safe and healthy work environment then get in touch with our local team who will be happy to explore suitable solutions with you.
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