A road safety awareness campaign for this year’s Holy Month of Ramadan (May 6 to June 3) is highlighting the potential challenges posed by fasting including fatigue, exhaustion, impatience and distraction.

Launched by RoadSafetyUAE in partnership with AETOSWire, the campaign uses the hashtag “#HappyNotHastyRamadan” and aims to educate motorists on how fasting can impact driving behavior. It also provides tips on the appropriate driving practices that should be adopted by fasting and non-fasting drivers to help reduce collisions during Ramadan.

“We are excited to have the Road Safety Awareness Campaign continue this year in light of the wide audience participation witnessed in 2018 as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure safer roads and contribute in reducing the number of traffic accidents in the region,” said Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE.

According to RoadSafetyUAE, road traffic collisions, injuries and fatalities peak in the holy month of Ramadan. Key findings from Ramadan 2017 reveal that:

  • Older motorists (40+) and male motorists are especially vulnerable
  • Peak collision timings are around the mid-morning rush hour from 10-11am
  • Tuesdays are the most dangerous days, Sundays the least dangerous

RoadSafetyUAE advises that the risks could be heightened this year, due to Ramadan coinciding with hot summer weather. It states that: “fasting can result in dehydration and low blood sugar, which in turn can affect our attentiveness, concentration, vision and reaction. In addition to fasting, the often unusual and irregular meal timings and sleep patterns can cause fatigue, exhaustion, impatience and distraction.”