Your Last-Minute Guide To A Road-Safe Eid Holiday

The exciting long Eid weekend is just around the corner, and while some of us have our plans sorted weeks in advance, and some prefer more spontaneity, it’s not too late for us to get our ducks in a row to ensure safety on the roads as we gear up for road trips, staycations and getaways. 

As part of the #RoadSafeTogether campaign, CAFU and RoadSafetyUAE have put together a quick checklist before the Eid holidays, for you to tick off before to head off into the long weekend:

 

⦁ The Car Safety Checklist:

 

⦁ Tyres: Poor tyre quality is a common yet a totally avoidable cause of accidents on the road which also leads to over 2 percent of all deaths on our roads in the UAE. Check your tyre pressure before you head out for the Eid weekend to avoid any en-route blowouts, and if your tyres are due for a change, don’t wait till after the Eid break. Do it now. Oh, and be sure to always carry a spare tyre. 

 

⦁ Car battery: It’s important to check your car’s battery ahead of a trip, especially if it hasn’t been changed in years, to see if it works well. A good indicator that it needs attention is if the sound of your starter is off, which means it’s corroding or dying. 

 

⦁ Car coolant & brake fluids: Pay attention to the fluid levels in your car, particularly the coolant and brake fluids to avoid breakdowns on the road which could lead to accidents. 

 

⦁ Engine oil: Check your engine oil level and be sure to give it a change if it’s nearing that time – once again, don’t wait until after the Eid break to do so, and it can wear down parts of your engine. More importantly, a common misconception is that adding more oil is a substitute to changing it, however, if there is sludge from your old oil, it needs to be changed and that won’t go away by adding more oil to it. 

 

⦁ Car check-up: If you don’t have the time or inclination to check each of the parts separately, send your car in for a full check-up before you go on holiday. 

 

⦁ The Hit-the-Road Checklist:

 

⦁ Fuel-up: It seems like a no-brainer, but make sure you have a full tank of fuel before you hit the road. The last thing you need is to run out of fuel in the middle of the road. If you’re busy and have a lot of last-minute things to take care of, you can order an on-demand fuel delivery from CAFU at your doorstep, to free up your time to take care of the rest.

 

⦁ Antibacterial car wash: This is a slightly unique addition to a road safety check-list, but we are still in the midst of a pandemic, which is why it would be ideal to have an antibacterial car wash to clean the interiors of your car, especially if you’re travelling with children. 

 

⦁ Be responsible, and care: Some of the major causes of accidents are down to reckless behaviour such as speeding, use of phone, cutting lanes and being impatient, and fatigue, which are avoidable. The first thing to do is to care and be mindful, not just of your actions on your own safety and that of your loved ones, but the ramifications of endangering the lives of others, and the ripple effect that would cause for them. 

 

So, here’s a quick reminder of the things to be mindful of:

 

⦁ Rest: If you are the designated driver and have a long drive ahead of you, get ample rest so you don’t find yourself catching an involuntary snooze on the wheel.

 

⦁ Drive within speed limit: It may be tempting to step on the accelerator on long, empty stretches of road, or to get to your destination quickly, but please, for the love of life itself, stick to the speed limit. With speeding being the cause of over 12 percent of deaths on our roads, extra care is required.  A lot of roads enroute to places like Ras Al Khaimah for instance, tend to have wildlife crossing at times, and at high speeds it becomes difficult to break in time and control the car, which can be very dangerous. 

 

⦁ Belt-up: Check that your seat belts are working, and make sure to wear them! Uncomfortable or not, and regardless of whether you think you can ‘get away with it’, wear it. Seat belts save lives. Plain and simple. 

 

⦁ Be patient: That’s right. When we’re impatient, we tend to make rash decisions including cutting lanes abruptly which is the cause of around 21 percent of deaths on our roads, speeding to overtake and so on. It’s a time for celebration, so be patient, keep your cool, and enjoy the drive. 

 

⦁ When in doubt, stop: If you need to check directions, use your phone to text, or simply feel tired and need a breather – find a suitable, safe place along the side of the road, and stop until you’re ready to hit the road again.