Driving in Qatar can cause plenty of emotional responses that can cause a driver to make the wrong decision, as discussed in part 1 of Qatar’s rules and regulations of driving. Your ability to remain focused and healthy enough to get rid of internal distractions can determine the quality of driver that you can become. The better you deal with those unnecessary distractions while driving, the less likely you will experience unfortunate accidents.
However, you should always note that distractions come in many shapes and sizes. Although you can take charge when dealing with your health and emotions, you cannot always say the same when the problem comes out externally. Part 2 of this guide focuses on coping with mental distractions due to outside disturbances.
De-Cluttering Your Headspace
Since driving in Qatar requires your full attention, it does not bode well for users to spend some time cleaning out their cars while in traffic. The distraction phenomenon happens when something small or insignificant manages to manifest into our minds despite doing something critical. Thus, you can find yourself vulnerable to clumsy mistakes that can prove dangerous when operating a motorised vehicle.
Ensure that you not only clear your mind off of anything that can cause immediate distractions while driving. However, it also benefits drivers to ensure that your car remains clean and orderly to prevent the nagging need to clean out some stuff during slowdowns. Most modern cars would also come with additional features such as an interactable screen that can take some drivers’ attention while driving. Take heed with everything that you do and do not fall victim to any outside distractions, including but not limited to:
- Taking photographs or videos of road accidents
- Reading too intently on a billboard or poster
- Focusing too much on having conversations with people on the phone or in the car
External Disturbances
The vast majority of road travel can remain easygoing as long as all the drivers follow the rules and regulations set by the government. But not even those rules and regulations can prevent accidents due to external reasons. Some incidents can occur when drivers fail to control their vehicles from forces they cannot control, such as blown tyres or inclement weather. As such, vigilance is once again a critical factor in preventing these incidents from turning into a disaster.
These external disturbances can happen at any point while driving. Take the time to study what you should do when you experience some of these incidents, as it can prevent a panicked reaction from occurring. Here are some of the most common forms of external disturbances:
Sun-Ray Glares
It is not a surprise to any that Qatar features a hot and sunny climate. Since this country primarily focuses on desert environments, you can ensure that sun-ray glares will become a challenge for most drivers. Not only can the heat make your vehicle hot without using an air conditioner, but you can also find yourself struggling to make out what lies ahead should the sun ray’s glare hit your eyes directly.
These incidents most commonly occur during early sunrise and sunsets. As such, expect to see some slowdowns on specific road spots that directly get hit by the overwhelmingly bright glares. Should you find yourself coming in direct contact with a sunray glare, you should prepare with some ways to cover your eyes without completely blocking off all vision. Items such as your car’s visor or even wearing some protective eyewear like sunglasses can help reduce the glare’s strain without hampering your vision radius.
Rain
Although the sun shines brightest on the open streets of Qatar, there are still moments of rainfall that can cause the road around you to become wet and slippery. Most cars will come equipped to deal with a bit of puddle, but you should still consider the slipperiness of the road and the quality of your tires.
Not only can rain make turning your vehicle around harder, but it also affects the rate of travel when braking or accelerating. The more contact your tires have with rainfall, the less surface tension on the ground. This effect would lead to you losing more control of your vehicle the faster your car moves. Take the time to start slowing down on the first sign of rainfall to prevent any accidents from occurring. You should also begin running your windshield wipers to prevent your vision from obscuring.
Should you need to drive despite persistent rain, it is recommended to slow down to a maximum speed of around 80km/h to prevent vehicle sliding. Exceeding this speed limit can cause drivers to experience losing control of their vehicles to the point that they can collide with another car or the environment around them.
Always reduce your speed and keep both hands gripped firmly to the steering wheel to prevent any slides before they start. You may also choose to drive in the middle of the road during heavy rainfall as this tends to have the least amount of accumulated water compared to outer lanes. Also, you can turn your warning lights on during heavy rain to signal your presence to other drivers in the vicinity.
Sandstorms
One of the main reasons Qatar is a popular place to visit is its numerous sandy terrains and dunes that people can explore. However, these sands can cause some problems for motorists should the weather starts to worsen. You can experience that your call will not only have a hard time driving through this rough terrain and weather, but you can even cause some damage to your vehicle if not approached with care.
It is always best to remain stationary and seek shelter during a strong sandstorm. But if you cannot avoid driving through a sandstorm, then you should aim to move at a slow space with your headlights on regardless of the time while also having your hazard lights turned on. These lights can help signal other drivers along the way as flowing sand can make a driver’s vision severely impaired due to all the moving particles. Avoid running your windshield wipers when under a sandstorm, as it could lead to scratches developing all over the windows.
Night Driving
The dazzling bright lights of Qatar will always be one of the most remarkable sights to behold. However, not every location will have an ample source of light spread around for you to check every corner. If you suffer from poor eyesight, consider heading towards a specialist first to determine if you can handle a vehicle during the night.
You need always to increase the amount of attention and vigilance you have when manoeuvring a vehicle during the dark. Immediately turn on your headlights when driving at night to ensure that you can correctly see through the darkness while notifying other drivers of your presence. Do note that some bikers or pedestrians might not carry a light source when walking across or near the road so prepare to keep your eyes open for any sudden appearances when the environment is too dark.
One thing that you should always remember when driving during the night would be your use of the high beam setting on your vehicle. Never try to use your high beam light when there is an oncoming vehicle passing by next to your car, as it could potentially disorient or temporarily obscure that driver. Dazzling lights can confuse both you and other drivers, which can lead to road accidents along the way. Remain in regular low light as much as possible unless situations demand high beam.
Mobile Phones
The creation and popularization of mobile devices paved the way to allow users to pair their phones with their vehicles. This feature makes it handy to receive and make calls, as well as have a reliable GPS device within reach at all times. Do be warned, however, that using your cellular devices while operating a vehicle is not only a major traffic risk, but is also highly illegal.
Avoid using your mobile phone while driving at all times. Since answering a call can take your focus away from driving, you can potentially end up making mistakes that can derail your entire trip. If there are other passengers in your vehicle that can take the phone call for you, then let them.
Heavy Traffic
A large and bustling country like Qatar would always have plenty of people moving in and out at all times. These moments can cause people to want to travel around as much as possible. However, you can find that there will be moments of unavoidable heavy traffic on the busiest parts of the day.
Moments like these is when most people’s minds will start to wonder about various things that they can do to pass the time. From fiddling around with your car’s settings to cleaning up the dashboard and other nearby areas of the car, these external distractions can cause drivers to miss their opportunity to move when needed. Always focus on the road at all times, and soon enough, traffic will move past safely and smoothly.
