Safety in Dubai
All of you have expressed concern about me being here in the Middle East, and non-specifically in the UAE.
Mainly this is founded on the overall view of the security situation and the violence in the surrounding countries. Although in the UAE we feel safe, and the crime rates etc. are exceptionally low, looking on a map from the North American point of view I realize I am only 150 km from Iran, and a 1.5 hour flight from southern Iraq.
However, the real risk here is the driving since we have attracted over 100 different nationalities, and their unique approach to driving, the roads are mess of accidents.
RAV4 vs cement truck on a city street (there were survivors!)
As Canadians we understand the difficulty of winter driving and the effect that snow drifts have on the car when you hit them. Here we have sand drifts, which are more dense, and when a Mercedes doing in excess of 200 kmph hits one and spirals off the road into a dune, airbags and seatbelts do little to preserve life.
The linked article describes Dubai emirate, which has a population of only 1.2 million, so that puts the perspective for their 300,000 car accidents a year. I live in Ras Al Khaimah with a population of only 220,000 but the insurance companies place us at a higher risk mainly because of sand drifts and wandering camels (3 m tall and 500+ kg).
Camel vs car
I have switched to a higher boxier Jeep because of that, plus the roll bars will protect better in case of a camel crash.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/06/29/10050230.html
The article refers to locals, which is the term used for the Emiratis, which seem to have a singular obsession for speed, whether in a Honda or a Land Cruiser. I have been doing 160 kmph in a Dodge Charger and have been passed in a shudder by a Land Cruiser.
Other than that things are well here and my day to day risk is low. But I thought I could help to put risks in perspective.
On the other hand you can always go down to the lot and "trade up".
Mainly this is founded on the overall view of the security situation and the violence in the surrounding countries. Although in the UAE we feel safe, and the crime rates etc. are exceptionally low, looking on a map from the North American point of view I realize I am only 150 km from Iran, and a 1.5 hour flight from southern Iraq.
However, the real risk here is the driving since we have attracted over 100 different nationalities, and their unique approach to driving, the roads are mess of accidents.
RAV4 vs cement truck on a city street (there were survivors!)
As Canadians we understand the difficulty of winter driving and the effect that snow drifts have on the car when you hit them. Here we have sand drifts, which are more dense, and when a Mercedes doing in excess of 200 kmph hits one and spirals off the road into a dune, airbags and seatbelts do little to preserve life.
The linked article describes Dubai emirate, which has a population of only 1.2 million, so that puts the perspective for their 300,000 car accidents a year. I live in Ras Al Khaimah with a population of only 220,000 but the insurance companies place us at a higher risk mainly because of sand drifts and wandering camels (3 m tall and 500+ kg).
Camel vs car
I have switched to a higher boxier Jeep because of that, plus the roll bars will protect better in case of a camel crash.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/06/29/10050230.html
The article refers to locals, which is the term used for the Emiratis, which seem to have a singular obsession for speed, whether in a Honda or a Land Cruiser. I have been doing 160 kmph in a Dodge Charger and have been passed in a shudder by a Land Cruiser.
Other than that things are well here and my day to day risk is low. But I thought I could help to put risks in perspective.
On the other hand you can always go down to the lot and "trade up".
posted by Sand Land Dad at 17:26
2 Comments:
Did you take the RAV4 vs cement truck picture? I only ask because it has a time stamp...
I would trade up for a camel...
That one pic, "camel vs. car", is very impressive.
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