3 Things you didn't know about driving in Dubai

Everyday there's a headline in the paper about a car accident. It's hard to ignore. It breaks my heart to hear these stories because common sense doesn't prevail in Dubai.

1. Car seats are not a requirement in Dubai. Some cars, like mine, only provide latches for one car seat base. So what do you do if you have two babies?! I cannot tell you how many times I've seen babies being held in their mamas laps in the car as the husbands speed across the highway. And inevitably when an accident occurs, its the children that get hurt because they are not protected. For a city that is big on family life, I don't understand this oversight.  Moreover, how can any parent purposely drive without securing their child. It baffles me. 

2. Recently I heard a story that happened in my neighborhood. This lady rear ended a fellow expat BECAUSE SHE WAS NURSING HER ONE YEAR OLD while driving and didn't see that the car in front of her had come to a stop. The police were called to the scene and surprise, surprise, no ticket was issued. Oh and by the way, a law passed this year requiring a woman to breastfeed her child for 2 years. No exceptions to the rule. How obvious is it that a man created this law?  

3. Most roads have speed bumps because speeding is a major issue that this city cannot seem to curtail. Speeding fines are pricey, starting at $180 a pop, but there is no true penalty because driving records and insurance are not affected. In my neighborhood there are plenty of speed bumps, and though it's extremely annoying to have to slow down every 30 seconds to go over bump after bump, it's a necessity. Time and time again, taxis or other drivers will try to overtake you because they cannot be bothered to go the speed limit. This habit of overtaking has caused many accidents. Forcing the other driver to swerve to avoid hitting a nearby cyclist, curb, or god forbid a vehicle with a child.   It's no wonder why many moms that I've come across are afraid to drive with their little ones in the car. Road rage takes on a whole new meaning here.