Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

I know it's long, but if you missed this feature - READ IT!! It gives a good insight as to why driving is so bad in this country. And once again the (cheap, tabloid - as some of you like to call it!) 7 Days isn't afrai to tell it like it is.

Driving schools uncovered
Thursday, 02 March 2006

How can driving standards in Dubai ever improve when driving schools tell 7DAYS’ undercover expert:

* Push in, don’t queue

* Radars - how fast you can really go

* Drive closer to the car in front

* Mirrors? Indicators? Who needs them?

An investigation by an undercover expert sent by 7DAYS to pose as a learner driver has uncovered shockingly low standards.

Our man – a UK-trained driving instructor with more than 20 years’ experience – was encouraged to break the speed limit, to drive too close to the car in front and to pull out when it wasn’t clear to ‘avoid waiting’.

He changed lanes without indicating, didn’t use his mirrors and went the wrong way round a mini roundabout, all without comment from his instructors. One teacher even taught him the maximum speed drivers can pass speed cameras without being flashed.

“In my opinion, not a single one of the instructors that took me out would pass the basic driving test in Europe or America,” he told 7DAYS. “The level of complacency I witnessed was shocking.”

I first visited Dubai seven years ago. I became a regular visitor, and over the years I’ve noticed that driving standards aren’t evolving as fast as the rest of the city. In fact, it seems to be getting worse.

Many instructors will claim the problem is that the syllabus for the driving test is too easy. That’s true, but it’s not the only problem. The level of teaching students receive is often farcical.

Teaching someone to drive is about more than just teaching them to pass a test. It’s educating people about road safety. It’s teaching people to spot danger before it occurs, and to keep themselves, their families and other road users safe.

It’s about teaching courtesy and proper road manners. But instead students are taught to steer, turn left and right and make u-turns.

Several instructors seemed more interested in playing with their mobile phones than teaching me anything. Students may end up able to pass a simple driving test, but that doesn’t mean they can drive.

As I already have a UAE licence I posed as someone who hadn’t driven for six years and wanted a few lessons to build my confidence.

Not all driving schools offer this service, so I signed up with Emirates Driving Institute, Dubai Driving Centre and Belhasa Driving Centre. I sat regular driving lessons, and also took more advanced defensive driving lessons with those schools that offered them.

What I found was shocking. The standard of the instructors ranged from bad to downright dangerous. From being encouraged to break the speed limit to being told to drive too close to the car in front, I was shown it all.

I was even taught the fastest speed I can pass cameras without getting flashed. It’s important for a driver to learn courtesy. Not only does letting people pull out ease the traffic flow, it also reduces accidents.

But I was encouraged to jump queues, to force my way into lanes and to pull out when it wasn’t clear. Otherwise, I was told, I would have to wait longer to get to my destination.

If I followed what I paid good money to be taught by these people, the only place I would be heading for would be the hospital.

In my opinion, not a single one of the instructors that took me out would pass the basic driving test in Europe or America. It takes more than a car and a uniform to be able to handle what is basically a deadly weapon.

Many instructors I know blame the state of the city’s roads on the less educated. Having now spent some time in the car with them, I think it’s the instructors themselves who are lacking in education.

I got the feeling many of them were just repeating what they’d memorised from a book. When questioned further on a particular point, they didn’t appear to know.

The level of complacency I witnessed was shocking. People are dying on Dubai’s roads every day. Most of these accidents are avoidable. But more speed cameras aren’t the answer.

The driver who pushes in front of you in the queue for Garhoud Bridge, the motorist who drives inches behind you flashing his lights, the person who pulls out in front of you without looking: they don’t know any better.

The idiot swerving in and out of lanes at high speed on Sheikh Zayed Road probably thinks he’s a good driver because he’s getting there faster. After all, Fernando Alonso drives fast, and he’s the world champion.

The problem is, these people were never taught any differently. On the lessons I took for 7DAYS I deliberately broke traffic laws and drove dangerously. Instead of telling me not to speed, or drive too close to the car in front because it’s dangerous, I was told I shouldn’t do it if I was sitting a driving test. At no point did any of the instructors tell me that what I was doing was dangerous, and could cause an accident.

The implication was that once you’ve passed you’re was free to do what you like. In my experience, driving schools in Dubai focus on getting people to pass a driving test, not teaching them to drive safely.

Almost one person a day died on Dubai’s roads so far this year. The only way things will ever improve is if motorists are taught to drive properly. And, as I found out, at the moment that seems like nothing but wishful thinking.

* THE AUTHOR

7DAYS’ undercover driving student is a highly-qualified UK driving instructor, who has been teaching motorists for more than 20 years.

The UK’s driving test is widely regarded as one of the strictest in the world. Because he works closely with many driving schools in Dubai, 7DAYS has agreed not to identify him.

* JOSEPH’S STORY


7DAYS reporter Joseph George has spent more than dhs3,000 on driving lessons with several schools in Dubai. We gave him a free lesson with our instructor from the UK

Joseph says:

“The first thing the UK instructor did was asked to see the forms I’d been given after each test detailing the mistakes I’d made. None of my instructors had ever bothered to look at these before, instead just telling me that I’d been unlucky.

We then set off. After five minutes we pulled over, and he told me I would have to start from scratch. He showed me how to adjust the seat properly – no one had ever done this before.

He told me not to cross my hands over when steering, to press the pedals with my toes instead of the middle of my foot, to check my mirrors before changing lanes, to drive close to the speed limit so other cars don’t have to swerve around me.

This all seems like common sense, but despite more than 40 hours of lessons, no one had ever bothered to tell me. I feel I learned more in that one hour than in four months of lessons.”

The instructor says:

“Joseph has been taken for a ride. He’s spent a lot of money to be taught how to pass a test, but he didn’t even know basic road safety. He made a lot of mistakes but didn’t know he was doing anything wrong, because no one had ever taken the time to tell him.”

* SCHOOL ONE

We started off with my instructor driving. He was about to take a shortcut the wrong way round a mini roundabout, but spotted another car at the last minute.

When I did get behind the wheel he didn’t notice that my mirrors were wrong, meaning I couldn’t see what was going on around me properly. Each time we changed lanes I didn’t use my mirrors.

This wasn’t picked up on. I asked him when I should be using them, to which he replied I should show I was using them to pass my test. No mention of the fact it’s important for safety.

At every junction I was in the wrong position, but this was only spotted once. I either ran wide or steered too close to the curb going round the corners, even drifting on to the wrong side of the road, but this was never commented on.

I wasn’t encouraged to speed, but when I did I wasn’t told not to. I took one corner so fast I drifted across into the middle of the road. Instead of telling me to slow down, he blamed the grip of the tyres.

Even when I deliberately drove dangerously close to the car in front there was no comment. When we returned to the driving compound I went the wrong way round the roundabout. We both laughed.

* SCHOOL TWO

My instructor spotted that my seat was too far back for me to work the pedals comfortably, but he missed that the mirrors were wrongly adjusted. I pulled off in second gear with the car juddering. This was not mentioned.

At every junction he used his brake without telling me. What would happen when he’s not there to brake for me?

On three occasions he asked me to push into another lane when we were queueing. When I hesitated because it wasn’t clear, he grabbed the wheel and did it for me.He told me I was wrong to wait, and that if I didn’t try to force my way in, even when it wasn’t safe to do so, I would be in the queue for a long time. I never stopped at a stop sign, and I deliberately either ran wide or to close to the curb on corners.

None of this was picked up on. I routinely broke the speed limit, but my instructor never mentioned it.

To his credit he did tell me I was too close to the car in front when we were waiting in traffic. You should always leave enough space to get around the car in front should it break down.

* SCHOOL THREE

My instructor prompted me to move my seat, so I put it in the correct position. I was surprised when he told me it was wrong, and moved me forward.

I complained I was too close to be able to control the clutch properly, but he said it was good as I would be able to “push it all the way down”.

I set my interior mirror at about 30 degrees to the rear window, meaning I could only see about half of what I should. My wing mirrors were also wrong. This was not picked up on.

As I reversed out of the parking space I deliberately crunched the gears. I was told to move my seat even further forward. By now I was seriously uncomfortable.

Had he not been playing on his phone he would have realised the problem was that I didn’t put the clutch down fully.

On approach to every junction my position was wrong. I deliberately either over or under steered each time. The only time he commented was when I under steered so much I ended up heading into on coming traffic.

He then asked me to pull over so he could show me how to drive. We drove down Al Wasl Road for more than 50 metres while he waved his arms in the air to demonstrate how to steer. His hands were not on the wheel.

He then proceeded to drive one car length behind a blacked out 4x4. If the car in front of that had braked we wouldn’t have had a chance. It was probably the most stupid act of driving I’ve ever seen from an instructor.

I was encouraged to break the speed limits. I was told it’s ok to drive 90km/h on Al Wasl Road (the legal limit is 80km/h) but not 91km/h because that would set off the speed cameras.

I was told to pull out of junctions when there wasn’t a big enough gap for fear of annoying the drivers behind me. He also routinely used his brake to slow the car without telling me.

* DEFENSIVE DRIVING LESSON

I again wrongly adjusted my mirrors. This was never mentioned. The first junction had a stop sign. I didn’t stop. This was never mentioned. I pulled out onto Al Wasl Road straight into the path of an oncoming car. This was not mentioned.

He explained that I should keep a two-second gap from the car in front. I drove much closer than this, but it was never mentioned again.

A lorry was joining my lane from a slip road. I started to speed up to get in front of him. I was alongside the lorry, and he was running out of road, before my instructor braked to let him go. He never commented.

I was supposed to be learning to drive defensively, which means letting people pull out, but my aggression was never commented on. On Jumeirah Beach Road the speed limit varied due to road works.

I drove at 60km/h in a 25km/h section, and 80km/h where it was 40km/h. At this speed I was unable to keep in my narrow lane. He mentioned that I was going too fast, but I carried on and he ignored it.

He did sit down with me at the end and talk about my mistakes, but I got the feeling he was reciting information from a book, without really understanding it.


* BELHASA DRIVING CENTRE RESPONDS

“All our instructors have a minimum three to five years of teaching driving experience and are qualified and tested by the Dubai Traffic Department before getting behind the steering.

All our instructors before going through the rigorous testing method of the Dubai Traffic Police Department undergo much more tough and rigorous test at Belhasa Driving Centre.

Belhasa Driving Centre has regular driving instructors training programmes, and most of our instructors are qualified by DIAmond Advanced Motorists(UK).”


* DUBAI DRIVING CENTRE RESPONDS:

“The school teaches in accordance with international standards and is accredited by the UK-based Institute of Advanced Motorists. We conduct random assessment tests every three months in which a senior instructor sits in the back seat and observes.”


* EMIRATES DRIVING INSTITUTE RESPONDS

“We have more than 350 instructors who are licensed by the traffic department. Most have between ten and 15 years of experience. If there is any complaint we are happy to investigate.”

PMSL!! It is only confirmation of what we all knew!!

Seriously, I need to find myself a private driving instructor. There is no way that I am going to pay thousands of dirhams to learn how NOT to drive properly.

If anyone has advice for finding a private teacher - please PM me. Thanks!

All the instrustors are not that bad...my instructor in Belhasa was really good...he never allowed me to over speed...infact he was very patient with my mistakes and taught very nicely....i think we can give this much to them...that all instructors are not bad...

Weel Cadmus, you must have got the pick of the bunch then, because to randomly get 3 bad instructors at 3 different schools is not a good thing.

Hi Ya

I am desperate to find the telephone number of the UK driving instructor here in Dubai. I think his name is Dawood and have heard relly good things about him.
I have misplaced his number, is there anyone who can help. I have a full licence from uk but I'm not driving until I get some practice and after reading that post there is no way I am going to learn with te driving schools here.
Thanks I am really glad you posted that...I'm shocked!!!!!!!

If anyone can help

Thanx

Chocoholic wrote:* Push in, don’t queue
* Drive closer to the car in front
* Mirrors? Indicators? Who needs them?

The instructors who "make the statements" like this are most probably from South Asia No offense, but that's truth to what I'm experiencing now in Hyderabad.

So....

what are the speeds you can go past the speed cameras without being flashed?

The Article is pretty uninteresting without this info.

Edit: OK, it's in there, you can go 91 on Al Wasl without getting flashed.

Thanks Chocs.

hi ya
Thanx for the reply. You might be suprised but I have got the number of that driving instructor.
I was earwigging (terrible I know) someone in local supermarket at the check outs and I heard them talking about driving so as you can imagine (my ears pricked up) I heard this instructors name being mentioned. So I got talking to the ladies, who have nothing but good things to say about him.
So I got his number and have arranged a lesson with him, Talking to him on the phone he certainly comes across as being very knowledgable.
Will let you know tomorrow how I got on,

Byyeee