Ramadan is a holy month of Islamic calendar that is observed with immense respect and gratitude by Muslims in the UAE and across the globe. As a religious act, Muslims observe fasting during this month and abstain from drinking any liquid and eating any food item from the break of dawn to sunset. However, people need to be careful and manage their water and minerals intake intelligently as Ramadan will be observed in the peak of summer season once again in the UAE.
Fasting in the hot and humid weather conditions can lead to dehydration and low blood sugar levels, which can cause fatigue and tiredness, especially when driving a vehicle. For motorists, managing their daily commuting routine can be a serious challenge while fasting and they need to adopt driving practices that can help them in maintaining patience to drive safely, especially in peak hours of traffic.
The traffic reports of last few years in the UAE suggest that dangerous road accidents increase during the month of Ramadan. The major reasons behind these accidents include fatigue, tiredness and drowsiness that fasting motorists can experience while driving in Ramadan.
Let’s take a look at some of the important safe driving practices that can be followed to avoid dangerous road situations during Ramadan.
Beware of Fatigued Drivers
You must be aware of the fatigued drivers on the roads even if you are not fasting yourself. Motorists can experience low blood sugar levels and dehydration while driving, which can affect their response time to challenging road situations and this is something that all motorists should be aware of. Being considerate of others is one of the most important safe driving practices to adopt in Ramadan.
Motorists should make an effort to develop a defensive driving approach, which includes avoiding dangerous driving mistakes such as changing lanes without using indicators, leaving little or no distance between vehicles, over-speeding on a busy road and jumping the red signal. All of these driving mistakes can tremendously increase the risk of a fatal road accident in Ramadan because of a number of fatigued motorists on the road.
Also read: Tips for Motorists to Drive Safe in Ramadan
Take Help from Technology to Plan Your Trip
There are a number of modern-day smart apps that can help motorists in planning their route intelligently. Google Maps stands out when it comes to providing navigational support and motorists can use this smart app to avoid any unnecessary stress and anxiety while commuting.
Here are some of the features of Google Maps that motorists can benefit from:
- Finding new locations becomes easy and stress-free
- Sharing locations with others is possible
- Google Maps can identify congested areas and motorists can use this information to take alternative routes and avoid frustrating traffic jams
Besides Google Maps, motorists in Dubai can also download RTA Smart App, which can further help in ensuring a stress-free commuting experience. With the RTA App, motorists can hire a taxi and find free parking places amongst other benefits. Planning a trip effectively in Ramadan also includes making fewer trips to complete daily errands, which can also be useful in reducing the fuel cost. Fuel prices in the UAE have been fluctuating for more than two and a half years now and adopting fuel-saving driving practices can go a long way in reducing fuel expense of motorists on a tight budget.
Also read: A Motorist’s Guide to Use “Google Maps” like a Pro
Use Public Transport to Avoid Driving Anxiety
The biggest respite in using public transport for a fasting motorist is that you won’t have to drive through challenging driving conditions and still reach your destinations in time. The United Arab Emirates offers state-of-the-art transport facilities with one of the best transport infrastructures in the world, which can make commuting a pleasurable experience even in challenging weather conditions.
With more motorists using public transport, the traffic load can be decreased considerably on busy roads, which can in turn help in reducing traffic jams. Using public transport is also a fuel-saving habit that motorists can adopt to keep their fuel expense in check throughout the year.
Also read: New Research Reveals Critical Facts about Driving in Ramadan
Manage Your Sleep and Rest Time
For fasting motorists, it is very important to manage their sleep and rest time so that they can avoid a dangerous road situation induced by fatigue or drowsiness while driving. Since fasting motorists can experience low blood sugar levels and dehydration while driving, the risk of a dangerous road accident increases if motorists fail to manage their sleep and rest time properly.
Motorists should maintain their daily sleep hours and rest well to stay active throughout the day. On the other hand, motorists should take a rest break of 10-15 minutes every time they feel drowsy behind the wheel. This is how dangerous road accidents involving fatigued and drowsy motorists can be avoided during the month of Ramadan.
Also read: Safe Driving Tips for Young Drivers in the UAE
Don’t Ignore Car Maintenance
Going for a detailed car maintenance checkup ahead of the summer season or at the start of Ramadan can be ideal for avoiding a challenging road situation caused by an unexpected car breakdown. Motorists must not miss a scheduled maintenance checkup of their vehicle according to the car owner’s manual. Additionally, regular maintenance of a vehicle during Ramadan matters a great deal to avoid an unexpected car breakdown in the hot and humid conditions of the UAE.
Here are the tips to follow to maintain your vehicle on a regular basis during Ramadan:
- Check all the fluids of your vehicle including the windshield washer fluid, coolant in the radiator tank and battery fluid amongst others.
- Inspect tyres of your vehicle at least once a week. Keep the tyres well-inflated at all times and check the tyre tread condition regularly to avoid a sudden tyre blowout situation during the month of Ramadan.
- Get your vehicle’s air conditioning system serviced at the start of Ramadan because a sudden failure of the air conditioner can make commuting agonizing in the extremely hot conditions, especially when you are fasting.
- Tint your car windows up to 50% as it is the allowed tinting limit in the UAE for car windows. However, motorists must know that they cannot tint their vehicle’s front screen. Tinting the car windows helps in reducing the effect of heat and makes it easier to keep a comfortable temperature inside the car-cabin.
- Parking a vehicle in the shade is important in the summer season. However, if you cannot find a shaded area to park your vehicle, it is suggested to park the vehicle in the opposite direction of the sun so that the dashboard and steering wheel are not directly exposed to sunlight.
Also read: Introducing Car Maintenance Guide for Your Vehicles – Never Suffer a Car Breakdown Again
Have a Safe Ramadan Motorists!
Commuting challenges for motorists can increase in Ramadan, which adds to the importance of adopting safe driving habits. Motorists should avoid committing driving mistakes, especially near the Iftar time because the tendency of motorists cruising towards their destination to break their fast with family and friends can cause frustrating traffic jams on busy roads.
Motorists have to be considerate of others and plan their trip effectively so that they allow themselves enough time to reach their destination without over-speeding or committing any other dangerous driving mistake. Being defensive in one’s driving approach and following all the aforementioned safe driving practices can help fasting motorists in maintaining their composure while driving, which can potentially reduce the risk of dangerous road situations observed during the month of Ramadan.
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