News of three deadly car accidents that killed at least eight people in Qatar over the past week has thrust the issue of road safety here back in the spotlight, with residents urging more caution on the roads and increased enforcement of the law.
The most recent deaths occurred on Monday, when three women, one man and a one-year-old baby were killed after their parked car was struck by a speeding Land Cruiser.
Speaking to the Gulf Times, the Philippines ambassador confirmed that the deceased include a couple with a child: 36-year-old Bencris Rivera, 28-year-old Joycelyn Rivera and 1-year-old Arclian Zirc III.
The child’s aunt, Suzette Rivera-Baclor, was thrown from the car and has survived the accident with injuries, but two of her colleagues who were visiting with her from Saudi Arabia – nurses Marilou Cal, 24, and Joyce Gelli, 27 – were also killed in the accident.
The Gulf Times reports ambassador Crescente Relacion as saying the Qatar-based family had been taking their guests on a tour around Doha. He continued:
“To show them the newly-opened Hamad International Airport from a distance, Bencris stopped his Nissan Pathfinder at a dedicated ‘short-term’ parking area on the Corniche-Wakrah highway and all of them came out of the vehicle to see the airport.
‘They were about to leave and Suzeth was the last to board,’ Relacion said. ‘All of a sudden a Land Cruiser, believed to be driven by an 18-year old national, hit the Pathfinder from behind.'”
Rivera-Baclor was apparently thrown out of the vehicle due to the impact and the vehicle caught fire. All the five inside the Pathfinder burned to death, the ambassador said.
Reaction
Emotions have been high since Sunday’s accident, with many residents expressing bitterness, anger and grief online over what happened.
Some called for the driver of the Land Cruiser to be criminally prosecuted – something that depends on if he’s liable, according to Relacion.
@dohanews @shabinakhatri severe punishment for the guilty, @Toyota and @MOI_QatarEn should run a "with power comes responsibility" campaign
— Baiba Pillai (@baiba) October 7, 2014
@dohanews Will this one get the punishment he/she deserves – imprisonment for manslaughter?
— Aejaz Zahid (@AejazAssistech) October 7, 2014
Other debated the source of the problem, asserting that the issue of locals driving badly needed to be addressed.
That argument was countered by some who said that the real issue is that residents of all stripes fail to follow road rules here. On Facebook, Ameer Abdul Razak said:
“It’s nothing about nationality .. It’s all about personality & attitude..it’s so sad to read the racist kind of comments… Be a human .. Stop racial discrimination .. May God bless Qatar.”
Others urged Qatar authorities to take a greater role in maintaining road safety. On Facebook, Christian Espiritu Biglete said:
“I have been living here in Doha for the past 2 yrs and really heard and seen a lot of horrible road accidents due to careless people who thinks they own the roads… Qatar is a nice country for me just like other Filipinos it is where we build our dreams and the future of our generations. But most of us are becoming afraid because of some people who drive like hell…
Innocents are being killed and put on danger… Im just curious because this incidents are very rampant and i (don’t) know what the (government) thinks about it…. I hope as our second home we can feel the security and safeness of Qatar… Because just like everybody else we are trying to make a life here…”
Finally, many residents offered advice to their peers on staying safe.
On Facebook, Ian Smith said:
“It was only a matter of time before this happened in such a high profile case , it will happen again and again there is no way to stop it. My advice is to always travel in the biggest safest car you can afford with lots of airbags. If that small car had a crumple zone at the back and rear doors those 5 people may have walked away.”
Thoughts?
What else is to say? Knowing that you have a family waiting you at home and still driving like there’s no tomorrow means you don’t love them and you want to kill yourself.
And in case that’s your purpose PLEASE don’t take other human beings with you, they maybe want to live.
Enforcement, No matter what your nationality, is the only answer. I was in the legal system in the UK and it was simple Death by dangerous driving = Prison!
12 points on your license = 6 month ban,
drive while banned = prison!
Doesn’t matter if you are a visiting tourist or the Prime Minister the law is the law!
Until the rules of the road are enforced equally and ‘without fear or favour’ by the police and the courts more will die and no one will learn. Please start thinking about someone other than yourself!
This is tragic, but which Qatar road rule did this driver break, no mention of speeding? Enforcement of what? The UK road rules? Read the Qatar “road rules”, you’ll the see for yourself the vagueness is impossible to enforce. Culpability and concepts of death by dangerous driving don’t exist…..easily. Drive that road to the airport and you’ll see the exact shoulder in the picture, it’s a non stopping shoulder at a signposted high speed, which people are using as a tourist site to view the fountain etc. Tsssst tssst MMUP, bad planning. You should have just built a viewing area/side access platform for people do this activity safely with their family and friends. Instead they have to park up in a high speed, shoulder not suitable at all for stopping. Cmon MMUP, let’s use your brain.
sadly I don’t have the evidence in order to assess the event but I’m pretty sure overtaking on the right on the hard shoulder is illegal in Qatar and subject of some very recent news about clever speed cameras that catch you in the act doing exactly this. Additionally, driving over the 60kph limit, which, looking at the damage to both vehicles was vastly exceeded. Yes they shouldn’t be parked, but they could equally have broken down or heaven forbid been changing a tyre there! I know the road very well thanks but I think the basic idea of culpability and the concept of not driving like a psychopath are alive and well in Qatar.
The road rules in the UK and many other countries are well developed and robustly tested in case law. My point was that until Qatar makes a concerted effort to develop their own rules and enforce them properly more people will get dead! Using the rules and concepts of an already well established legal system such as the UK, Germany, France, USA and the like provide a useful guidepost from which to guide your own development but until there is a will to actually make the leap and start enforcing your laws then we will get no-where
I couldn’t agree with you more, qatar needs better road law. We are accustomed to laws that read ” indicate within 50m of turning” here it’s ” indicate adequately” (I’m paraphrasing, it’s been a few months since I read them). How do you police that? Travel behind any police car and they don’t indicate either. Yes cameras catching people in the shoulder is great, especially after someone does it, it’s 100% effective after the deed is done. its a deterrent for most people. But then there are some who just don’t care about a camera. It’s much higher than 60km in the spot I’m thinking it is on that road, it’s a 100km nearly to the front door no?? In memory of this family I hope MMUP develop a safe viewing area or it will happen again, this can happen much more quickly than law and enforcement reform. Until then I hope police move people on from using a shoulder on a highway as a beauty spot, it’s too dangerous in today’s driving environment.
REGARDLESS of the nationality, drivers who drive carelessly, giving no respect to their own life and to others, should be punished severely. Without law enforcement, REGARDLESS of the nationality, and changing the driving culture here, this issue can’t be addressed. The driving culture here seriously needs an overhaul.
The really sad thing is that although all of us are horrified at this appalling incident- not accident- not one of us is surprised. Instead its a case of ‘There but for the grace of God go i’ , as we have all seen this arrogant, dangerous style of driving on a daily basis.
No 18 year old should be in charge of such a powerful vehicle- most can barely look after themselves let alone handle speed. Lack of experience coupled with arrogance plus distraction is a dangerous mix.
While you can impose severe punishments on the reckless driver, there is unfortunately nothing you can do legally against poor parenting.
Indeed you can impose severe penalties Saleem. I look forward to reading how severe a penalty has been meted out to the youngster who caused the death of 5 through reckless driving. The parents will hopefully learn something as they wait for their son to be released sometime after the Qatar World Cup.
Not holding my breath…..
Usually it’s 6 months in prison for the one responsible, in rare cases it can be more.
I think perhaps 6 months would be the penalty if the cause was accidental. This particular incident is a case of dangerous driving, something very different.
Well this case would be over-speeding, as in he wasn’t doing stunts that caused the accident, he slammed into the back of their vehicle. If for instance he was doing donuts and that led to fatalities it would be different, whereas speeding will typically just get him the 6months, unless it is proven to be significantly above the stipulated speed limit on the road. I am not an expert in this area, but based on the many accidents I know of where deaths were the end result, the courts findings and punishment typically reflect the above.
Really? You kill 5 people from speeding in the emergency lane and you get 6 months? Its pure and simple manslaughter x 5….
The boy was driving at speed off the highway in a lane reserved for stationary vehicles. To cause the impact that resulted he clearly had not just pull in behind the car, he had driven along a way- how did he not see the car? This was dangerous, reckless, arrogant and at the end of the day, fatal. If my family or yours Saleem had been killed that day, I think you would rightly be expecting to know who the boy is and to be assured he will be doing prison time.
Is that actually the case? If a parent is negligent there is nothing the State can do about it?
Well you can’t charge a parent for being negligent if they buy their kid a powerful vehicle when he has earned his license. By law he is of legal age to drive, and there is no stipulation what sort of car it must be.
If he was indeed 18…..
I’m surprised they even go out without a maid to do everything for them. Quite clearly they can’t function without them.
That’s what happens when spoiled brats, who have no respect for human life, are gifted large cars.
May they RIP…
What if those that committed acts like this had to drive a Tata Nano for a year as punishment? I bet a large percentage of those ego-tripping testosterone-fueled boys would prefer jail time to that. That kind of consequence (OK, really ANY consequence at this point!) might get the results Qatar needs.
LOL! That’s actually quite a hilarious proposition that I could see working. They could also impose a sentence whereby any vehicle registered under that person’s name is restricted to a max speed of say 80km/h for instance for a number of years, similar to how some company vehicles do not allow the driver to go above a certain speed. Only problem with that is the possibility of just getting a relative to register the vehicle under their name.
Technology today also allows people to monitor driving habits from anywhere, a lot of insurance companies around the world have begun to use them, and based on your driving, frequency of sudden braking, speeding, etc., it can determine what premium is set to insure your ride.
Wasn’t there an article on DN recently about that technology and how one insurance company in Qatar was going to try and use it? Didn’t it get severe push back due to “privacy concerns?” In the US if you get a DUI sometimes they install a breathalyzer in the car that must test 0 before the engine will start. Could they do that in Qatar and add a test for Red Bull and Monster?
LOL. It’s one of those things that is spoken about here but will not be implemented. At least that is how I see it.
Frankly I am not surprised and this is nothing new in Qatar – speeding SUV, young driver (nationality – most of you know…), fatal accident, innocent deaths!
All these campaigns, press release, media coverage, about road safety is basically useless and helpless to ARROGANT people behind the steering wheel; ARROGANT people who drives way over speed limits; ARROGANT people who flashes their headlights to get ahead of everyone to show their might; ARROGANT people on their mobile phones while driving as they want to show off their multi-tasking skills; ARROGANT people that all of us here in Qatar encounter on 95% of our daily commute.
Well said, arrogance is killing people…. And its all nationalities that push in, undertake, tailgate, fail to indicate, cut you off, change lanes in the roundabout etc, not just Qataris. And Ive seen some Qataris driving very well, so lets not start the nationality blame game please, its all nationalities that are at fault. What is needed is a huge culture shift, enforcement and education. Surely the Emir must be briefed about the woeful driving standards and road deaths? Surely action needs to be taken as a matter of urgency? Why does the government stay silence on this? Is it because expat life is considered to be of lesser value?
Very well said, couldn’t agree more..
I have seen some other comments expressing curiousity on the whereabouts of the culprits in such fatal accidents such as this one… and I coudn’t agree more. Those culprits should be publicized more than the victims. Their names and photos (and confession if so available) should be known to the the public – let them rise in the HALL OF SHAME so that similar ego-driven people, the similar ARROGANT drivers in particular, would know the possible consequences of their ARROGANCE on the road.
This call for transparency is not only a challenge for Doha news but to all the journalists in this country.
Let’s have a court case first to determine guilt, if then found guilty they should be named and shamed. We cannot publisce someone’s name straight away without first determining guilt as this may lead to innocent people being harrassed or attack for something they did not do.
But the MOI doesn’t hesitate to tweet pictures of individuals of other nationalities when they’ve just been arrested for smuggling drugs or theft. They set them up in a nice glamour shot with their contraband goods and post it on the internet for all to see. I agree with your comment, but there’s definitely a double standard in Qatar.
Very true, the police in Qatar, (and the middle east) are very quick to blame the foreigners and shame them even before a court case has even started. I never remember them doing the same to the locals that were found guilty in the Villagio case or publishing the photo of any local who they suspect has committed a crime.
Just because the police are xenophobic and play to the gallery it doesn’t mean we should expect higher standards for all.
Are you implying that it is okay to harass or attack people found to be guilty?
Not really, they should be punished within the judcial system and usually that means jail. Those that are not found guilty yet or on trial would normally be free in society and may get attacked by those villangtes seeking their ‘justice’
Rubbish…Names of those charged are always released to the public in civilised countries. A jury then decides there guilt or innocence, but here the names are quickly released of any expat charged but not that of a local.. Why?
If a country shames someone who hasn’t even been found guilty yet, is it really civilized?
On the way home from work once I was tailgated by a 4×4 with 3 Qatari youths in the front who were laughing and joking at the fun they were having – as if playing some sort of video game. They were so close that I couldn’t get out of the way without risking a crash and luckily they eventually turned off. Until enforcement arrives for all in Qatar with real penalties there will be no respect for the laws of the road and tragedies like this will continue. I don’t think it’s a racist comment to say that expat drivers are more careful than the Qatari, but everyone who lives in Qatar fears Qatari law and the consequences of any transgressions, whereas the Qatari do not, and if the Kafala and the Villagio disaster have achieved one thing it is to reinforce the truth – there is one law for the Qatari and one for others.
I collected my wife from HIA yesterday evening. the link road from the expressway to the corniche was backed up. The cause was, as ever, drivers bullying their way to the front of the queue from both sides and forcing their way in. This continued as far down the corniche as the Emiri Diwan. No lane discipline, using the parking lane as a highway lane, (which experience tells me was the cause of this fatal incident). Over the last few days we have seen this kind of behaviour up and down Lusail Street passed Katara, and more than a few minor bumps and scrapes. Let me point out, that few of the drivers were what appeared to be Qatari, quite a few of the worst offenders were Westerners. Not all the vehicles were SUV’s either, and the absolute worst driving I have ever seen was by a European woman driving a Hyundai Tucson or Santa Fe (I think). Why? Because they get away with it. The government and the department of traffic need to be pulling these drivers over, and giving tickets. We need unmarked cars, and police actually patrolling – not parked plying with their smartphones waiting for a VIP motorcade to pass. The blame here, is with the department of traffic. Poor driver education, and worse enforecement. Until both these things occur, these tragic incidents will continue to happen.
So I challenge all drivers…. dirive in the correct lane…. and stay there. Take pride in keeping your vehicle between the lines. By driving at appropriate speed… by using SKILL and ROADCRAFT to demostrate your prowess behind the wheel – not brute force and arrogance.
My prayers are with the families for those lives lost.
Did you say Westerner driving poorly? That they were among the worst offenders too? Please modify this post before some of the posters on here read this comment, as you will shatter their image of the infallible Western angels that have been bestowed upon us inferior beings. Destroy their reality and we may end up with a suicide on our hands ladies and gentlemen.
Saw a blond woman in a LC child unrestrained, pushing in, and dumped her cig butt out the window….now thats what I call adapting to local custom ;-0
What do you mean, dying her hair blonde….
By blonde you are implying she is western I assume. But are you aware that blondes come from such exotic places as Lebanon also?
I agree with the overall context of your post, but please explain what you mean by ‘westerners’. I’m curious. I understand of course that you mainly refer to white people. But are you saying that all black, Asian and Arabic looking people could not be western?
You’re ability to assess a persons demographic background by one glance whilst driving is amazing ( or perhaps you were the passenger and therefore had more time to gaze).
How do you tell the difference between a European woman and say an American woman?
I am the least racist person you could wish to meet, but thank you for your thinly veiled attempt to label me as such. However, to clarify, regardless of creed/color/gender/sexual persuasion or preference, by “westerners” I am referring to people who are clearly NOT Qatari.
Thinly veiled? I thought it was obvious. I must have phrased it wrong.
So everyone NOT Qatari is a “westerner” [sic].
Hmmmm.
I think there are many people who would take umbrage at that.
You’re racist.
Oh, well… If you say so, Peter…. Knowing nothing about me…. Then I guess it must be true. And you’re a facist.
I have no problem if young drivers want to commit suicide as it removes them from the gene pool, what I do object to is when they take other innocent people with them.
It only takes one word from the Emir and this is all taken care off. Its time for him to step up and prove to us all that he is the man we all hope him to be.
On another note the car was referred to as a Pathfinder. This is not a small car and to do the damage that was done the LC must have been travelling at a massive speed. My heart breaks for those involved and the deaths that they suffered. This should not happen to anybody in the modern world driving modern cars. I have written here so many times on this topic and it seems that nothing changes. I actually feel like leaving the country for good and returning to my job back home.
Speaking from experience you don’t actually have to be going very fast to cause an enormous amount of damage even to a very large vehicle. What most people don’t seem to realize is there a very big difference between hitting something with your brakes on and hitting something when you are distracted and the moment of impact does not allow for braking. Many people (particularly males) seem to have the view they are great or even okay drivers and this isn’t going to happen to them. The statistics prove otherwise.
I appreciate this fact AEC but as some background info many years ago when I was a younger man I worked for Toyota. One of my jobs was to collect crashed cars many of which went to the police for investigation. I have never seen the damage at home that I see here on the roads every day. The crumple zones both front and rear are designed to do just that – crumple but the pax cabin should remain intact bar some kinking of the side pillars or roof with maybe (depending on how lucky/unlucky you are) some intrusion of cabin trim. The crumple zone never includes the rear seating area of the vehicle. By law this is not allowed. Vehicles cannot be approved for sale if it is in doubt. The only thing that can really affect this is the age of the vehicle. As vehicles get older the metal begins to fatigue and will provide less crash resistance. Having this said not much can protect you against a 3 ton Land Cruiser driven by a testosterone fueled child travelling at mach 1.
If I could I would like to ask the child what he was doing and why he was doing it when he hit these people. We never hear any more about these stories apart from the initial accident. What happened the guy who killed the workers a while back when they were waiting for their bus?
How do we get Toyoto to sell in Qatar the same level of safety technology in its vehicles as it does in the EU and US?
I think Toyota sells the same safety standards regardless of global locale. Huzz may be able to elaborate better on that. I think the real question (that you may be implying by omission) is how do we get drivers in Qatar to drive as safely as the majority of their counterparts in the EU and US do so that the engineered safety designs are sufficient?
Actually I remember when I had went to purchase an LC from Toyota (Silver not white though 😉 ) around 2013, I had asked for the fully loaded one that based on the manual should include several air bags beyond the ones in the standard places, the dealer had informed me that in Qatar they did not import those ones (yet it was priced higher than the ones in the UAE that did have them).
I am sure the general structure of the vehicle would be the same, but I am guessing different markets may have different additional safety features, I am not sure though.
i coudn’t agree more.
Should have told the dealer that it must be specified in their brochures what’s available or not. And with driving conditions here in Qatar, that model should be available.
The brochure did state to speak to dealer for specific “regional specifications”. The thing is in the manual for that specific car, it marked up all those air bags as available, so someone who does not scrutinize the fine print and question they way I did, may purchase the vehicle presuming that it was fitted with the same safety devices as shown in the manual.
Indeed it should be standard. The salesman actually laughed when I asked and was obviously surprised by my question, I think it was the first time someone inquired about the number of airbags, he told me “don’t worry sir, these one are enough”. I guess not many people ask about the car’s safety features, so they took that as an opportunity to save on purchasing costs while still charging more than neighbouring countries for their version of the “full option” model.
Interesting. I naively assumed thatthat things would be standard. I guess every company is trying to make as much profit as possible….
That’s precisely it, as I stated below, the salesman was obviously surprised by my question, and it occurred to me that I might have been the first person who has ever asked him about the car’s safety features. His response was that I shouldn’t worry, because the standard amount was “enough”. There is no reason why the Qatari version of the same car sold in the UAE should cost more despite having less features.
The basic answer to the question is “the law”. They are not required to do so and therefore they don’t. Toyota in the Gulf but especially in Qatar does not need to try to sell cars. You will see this by the slack attitude they have at the showroom. All the extra kit in the cars cost more to build but if the local buyers lack the education to know the dangers and the law does not require it then the extra safety kit will not be installed. Compare a land cruiser here with one in Europe and they are completely different cars. Most manufacturers here are the same. I know that BMW and Mercedes put all the kit in the cars as do the American manufacturers(I think) but the Japanese cars are very bad here. I had my car brought here from AD through an independent dealer.
Hmmmm… Interesting, and depressing to know. If anywhere, Qatar needs the most beefed up safety kits on automobiles possible! And they’re more expensive in Qatar than other places even without those features.
Recently visited Toyota to inquire about Prado… and all models other than the extreme high end one, had only two airbags, while the competing market vehicles almost all of them had six or more airbags, and total cost was equal or less !!! May be because they are “The Invincible Ones” !!!!!
when i bought my prado in 2012 the case was same only the high end model had curtain airbags and other safety stuff. all other models only two. however toyota was the only one who would take my cheques all others required my sponsor signature!
Yes what did happen to that guy? Can DN follow up and find out?
I doubt we’d ever hear from the driver of the LC.
Your first paragraph pretty much sums up in a sentence when you will see major changes in this area, until then, unfortunately you will see very little happening.
All those people who talk about spoiled qataris forget that a lot of the accidents caused in Qatar are caused by drivers who are not qatari nationals. A friend passed away because a truck driver hit him while he was changing a tyre and the guy didn’t stop to call for help he just drove away. Accountability doesn’t only apply to nationals, road safety is a serious issue but qataris aren’t the only reckless drivers around.
That may be the case but a disproportionate number of the cars being driven erratically at high speed appear to be driven by young men in Landcruisers wearing thobe and gutra. Maybe they’re Qatari. Maybe they’re not. Invariably though if you check the number plate on line the car will have dozens of violations. Hard to know what that means either but I’m sure if the authorities were concerned they’d be looking into it.
never mind what they say! they turn every subject to a Qatari vs expat subject! sry for your lost! i lost a Qatari friend not so long ago by being hit by an Indian driver as well (since they like referring to nationalities in this site). also didn’t stop nor called for help and left my friend bleeding to death!
Laws should and are applied to all. and the subject should not be regarding nationality when there r deaths. however, by logic, who would know more about roads and road law in Qatar ,Qataris or new comers from all over?!
Omar, its not about knowing the traffic laws. They are almost universal. Its about respecting the laws and one another. We all loose friends here and we are all guilty of making mistakes on the road or breaking the laws. Where we as expats have a problem is that many of the local community behave as if they are unquestionable and seem happy to intimidate other drivers. I am pleased for your community that the government shares out some of the oil and gas wealth among the people and this allows you to have the vehicles that you have. What it does not do however is give you the right to bully and play with the lives of other people on the roads. I know that not all locals drive like this and I know that some expats get into the habit of driving badly.
Well said
U Missed my point which is judging based on nationality which is not really what the post is about. 🙂
I did get it alright but I wanted to reply to the end of your comment about the traffic laws and the laws being applied to all.
laws are applied to all. and your last paragraph about our welfare state has nothing to do with the subject as well
Oh yes it does.
no it doesn’t . and you’re contradicting you’re own statement in the same comment as well 🙂
a certain type of behavior isn’t linked to a certain nationality. Judge the person based on hisher wrong doings, NOT ALL hisher group of people.
Hold up your bright swords for the dew will rust em. Omar this thread is about a teenage Qatari numpty that killed 5 people in an suv that he would never have had were it not for the nanny state that exists here for your people alone. I know that bad driving is not done by Qataris alone however in many cases it is and it is done in very high powered vehicles that many people should not be allowed to have. Going back to your statement that the laws are applied equally we all know that they are not and if you add in the wasta bs then the advantage is very much with the Qataris. I agree with you that every case needs to be judged on its own merit but when it comes to large vehicles being driven recklessly you guys seem to be the biggest offenders. I would like to see some statistics on this.
“Omar this thread is about a teenage QATARI numpty that killed 5 people…”
U either don’t get it, or u just don’t wanna admit it. Still pointing out to nationalities.
This thread is about a poor family that lost most of its members due to a car accident. weather the person behind the accident was a Qatari or not doesn’t really contribute much to the thread.
Weather a Qatari or an expat both are going through legal channels to get the right punishment.
“Wasta” is only used in work environment and won’t help U out when u murder 5 people.
“Wasta” is basically the Qatari word for Networking.
Wasta isn’t also as u assume “always in the favor of the Qatari” especially in a work environment consisting mainly of expats so don’t ASSUME and deal with facts.
Our nanny state -as U put it- provides expats with salaries much higher than in their own homes, and many of them get much more than an ordinary Qatari salary man. But they usually prefer to save every dime in their pockets and send it home.
How U “feel” about Qataris isn’t really Qataris problem, the problem is within you. 🙂
Omar, let me ask you a question. Do you believe that there is a problem in this country with the way in which many young Qatari men drive high powered vehicles, usually Land Cruisers around the streets.
How would I know? Must Qataris I know drive either a Porche, BMW s or a Mercedes (gifts from our nanny state and not through hard work). They drive just fine. I know few expats and Qataris who own a Land cruiser as well.
Do U believe there’s a problem in this country with expats driving an “economical” vehicle at 60KMPR on the fast lane of an expressway?
Wait I’ll answer that. NO ! that could be me! that could be my father, why can’t it?
This discussion is pointless.
For what its worth I do think that there is an issue with people driving any car in the fast lane at 60 if the limit is 100 or 120 if there is nothing in front of them slowing them down. Then they are a danger on the road. I have had many near misses with small cars driven by many nationalities but thankfully they tend not to be driving that fast so I have had time to see and avoid. On the other hand I see that where many of your countrymen are concerned with the size of their vehicle and the speed at which they drive they are unable to see and avoid in time and thus have a collision.
I don’t want you to think that I don’t like Qatari people. I have Qatari friends and if you look back through my posts you will see both praise and criticism of Qatar. I think that the driving habits of the entire community need to be changed including myself but this accident has brought focus on Qatari driving yet again.
It all goes back to enforcement. Until that happens nothing will change.
What you think is obviously up to U. and you’re free to write what you want.
It doesn’t really matter to me if U like or hate Qataris just like U shouldn’t really care what I think, but here it is.
to me you -in every comment- Generalizing and stereotyping in a racist way.
“I have had many near misses with small cars driven by MANY NATIONALITIES …” . “I see that where many of YOUR COUNTRYMEN are concerned with …”.
I don’t mind criticism. I as well criticize and praise when there’s a need to. constructive Criticism is good . . me like.
racism, being prejudicial and generalizing a negative idea based on few incidents that are not restricted to us is however something I don’t see as fair which sometimes makes me reply to pointless discussions.
Boys- this issue has zip all to do with loving or hating Qataris. I have lived here for 5 years and I like living here but in that time have been almost killed by young men in white headgear almost driving up my back seat in a rush to get past- regardless of the fact I was at the speed limit and had nowhere to move to. It happens over and over again- twice yesterday on Al Shamal Road. Expats don’t drive these vast vehicles and they don’t wear thobes. It is aggressive, dangerous and illegal. I am considering getting a dash cam so that I can report these idiots before they kill someone else. Don’t tell me I hate Qataris that’s BS. I hate thugs, bullies and arrogant pups
U either haven’t read what i wrote, didn’t understand it or you just decided not to understand it and bash on ppl.
What i keep saying is that NATIONALITY IS NOT A CRITERIA !
If you were almost killed then I repeat, I know many people who WERE KILLED and left bleeding to death by someone! I didn’t mention the nationality! was that hard? does the guy’s nationality contribute or help in any way in here? no! it doesn’t! BTW he wasn’t a Qatari nor he spoke Arabic!
I can easily say that the same guy’s “category” were responsible for my only two minor accidents during my eight years of driving here in Qatar but I won’t cause:
one – his nationality isn’t relevant to the accident.
two- I wouldn’t feel good spotting the light on a whole innocent group of people who have nothing to do with it.
If a person made a mistake, the law would punish that person! not that person’s whole category/ race/ religion . .whatsoever !
FYI, I know Jordanians, Pakistanis, Indians, Egyptians, Syrians, Iraqis and even Turkish who wear Thobe and speak fluent Qatari accent that they could fool me. so driving vast vehicle and wearing Thobe isn’t restricted to Qataris. just like me replying to you in English doesn’t mean i’m British.
I also hate thugs, bullies and arrogant pups and i see them all around the world and i see them here as well from all over.
I made that judge based on each one of them individually, i never generalized a certain bad idea about a whole group of ppl like some of us did!
finally, again, it’s up to you to hate Qataris or luv them . I assure you it’s not our concern 🙂
They are not applied to all. Locals do as they please. Expats risk it.
Sorry for your loss. And exactly right, its all nationalities. Our family has a saying…”Sunny alert!” not many Qatari’s drive a Nissan Sunny. Its all nationalities that drive poorly, because they can get away with it. Education and across the board enforcement is needed.
Sunny’s and Tiida’s, no fear of jumping into the left lane without indication at 30 kph. I can attest to that.
The speed limit on the airport approach road is 50km/h. Judging from the impact on the car in the photo the vehicle that ploughed into it must have been traveling at least twice that speed. Many drivers here consider the hard shoulder an extra lane for undertaking or pushing in at junctions. This is against the law.
Sincere condolences to the family for your unspeakable and unimaginable loss. This recklessness is but another example of the growing problem we are all faced with, expat and local alike. Without accountability for actions behind the wheel, whatever they may be, from minor ones (not using indicators for example) to major ones (giving an 18 year old a 5.7 litre car and turning it into a missile ), This accident will unfortunately cause even more defensive and protective driving from already threatened drivers. Expect many more deaths to come as more cars appear every day on our roads. A vicious circle indeed.
has THRUST issue?
Don’t be so dirty….
What? Who’s dirty? Have you read the article? Read it again!
She has a point. I wonder how much of this atrocious driving is a by-product of sexual frustration/inadequacy..
Lol…. That’s why their cars are so big….
I think people need to stop labeling dangerous driving with a nationality. I’ve been hit in the rear twice here in Qatar. First time was Lebanese guy, second time an Indian woman. Both times they were speeding and didn’t have enough time to stop and ended hitting me.
I do recognize that a lot of Qataris do have an air about them when it comes driving. They think the road belongs to them. But in the 12 years that I’ve been here, I’ve seen reckless driving habits but all nationalities. Some of them just are not even reckless, but bad driving in general.
Fully agree with you Amber. It’s not only Qataris, though a lot of them are. I for one was hit by a British national named: Craig Houlsby of KEO over a year ago in roundabout at Furousiya St near the Petrol Station. I was fully stop waiting to enter the roundabout when suddenly he bumped me from the rear damaging the rear lights and the rear hood, his reason was he was looking behind to his son at the back of his car which i can only imagine if you are looking behind, why dont you slow down?? and the worst is; his insurance do not shoulder all the expenses I incurred and i called him to inform about it which he assured me he will reimbursed the amount…unfortunately, until now even after several follow ups he didnt bother to remit the amount…to think he is Briton not a local.
Eddie thats about a 10 kph collision maybe. Happens a lot. Car in front of you starts, you start and guy in front stops. Maybe he was distracted by his kid but he wasn’t flying down Furousiya, weaving in and out of traffic (sometimes in emergency lane), flashing his lights, 6 inches from your bumper, flipping you off was he? If he was going anywhere over 10 kph you would’ve had major damage. Your trunk hood is not even dented LOL. Please don’t compare your little fender bender to a LC doing well over 100 kph slamming in to a Pathfinder and destroying it and killing 5 people in flames. You look foolish.
desertCard…you didnt see how fast he was coming that’s why you can say it was a 10kph collision.
Eddie, look again at the burnt out car above where 5 people lost their lives. Let’s not get sidetracked by a minor fender bender. We get it. Plus we now know his name.
Eddie please if he was flying he’s got good brakes. Hit you at maybe 10kph. Again don’t look foolish. My wife backed into a pole 10 ft away from our driveway and did more damage than this.
You also need to be careful naming people like that here. You may fall foul of the new laws or it may be considered liable. Public figures are different as they are in the public domain.
I agree that consistent enforcement and constant education are the answer. Put people in jail who break the law, regardless of nationality and you will see changes. It takes a country years to learn to adapt to a new technology. It took decades for Americans to learn to wear seatbelts, and some groups there still don’t. But people can learn.
One could suggest respectfully that Americans are a bit slow.
Really, hows that internet thing working out for you…..Americans are not any slower than anyone else. Europeans are not smarter than Americans, and the same is true for pick a culture. The seat belt usage is simply about enforcement. It took longer to adopt in the US, because….gasp, the states all have individual laws to govern the roads rather than a centrally controlled government. Once it became universally implemented, then the usage went up. One could say that Brits are slow….smoking as an example, and followed the lead of the States…..or pick a topic. This is emblematic of the entire problem with this full comment thread. Its a back and forth over which national group is somehow better or worse at things, while avoiding the real issue, which is poorly trained drivers of all creeds living in a state where road rules enforcement is left up to speeding and red light cameras. Until the laws that are already here are enforced fully, this will continue to happen…..and yes even after they are enforced it will happen again. People make mistakes and people make bad choices. They all do, despite their passport or their perception on how great their school was or whether or not they have a special feeling of superiority. I have met some very educated people that are quite…..as you put it slow. It has nothing to do with a nationality.
Woh! won’t be doing that again..
PS – the web bit of the internet (invented by a Brit in Switzerland) is working fine for me thanks.
Australians are smarter then everyone…….
My time living in Darwin was filled with exceptions to the above then. One trip to the Winnellie Truckstop, Motel, and Bar could easily cure one of such delusions. But perhaps you are on to something, maybe the Auzzies wised up and just had all their shinning stars drive road trains on the Stuart Highway. Darwinism! 😉
Don’t you mean “than?” 🙂 (or was that intentional?)
I’d say 95% at least of americans wear seat belts.
America isn’t the best example for road safety, there are still 18 states where not wearing a seatbelt is only a secondary offence.
Drivers involved in accidents like this should be ban from driving as long as he stay in this country.
We have endless points telling our views on this National issue however I do not know if these messages are being read and impacted to the people who are arrogants on the road! Truly the immediate enforcement with stiffer penalties should be in effect immediately regardless of the nationality. Nothing has been change even countless road fatalities are happening except if the government will act on it not tomorrow but now! Start impounding cars and licenses of the violators and even imprison them. The result: you would only see few cars running in Doha..for sure!
@DohaNews The quote you have chosen to include at the end of this article might lead a reader to believe this family was in a small car. They were in a Nissan Pathfinder. Also, the use of the word “car” for the Pathfinder above and “SUV” for the Land Cruiser higher up in the piece might cause less careful readers to think that the Filipino family was in a car not an SUV. They were in a large SUV and were still killed almost instantly. They had no chance to escape and it had nothing to do with the number of doors or the size of their car.
What about the name of this 18-yo qatari driver?
How this so-called journalism can hide the name of an adult who for sure (yalla, we hope!!) will be accused of a whole family-manslaughter?
@dohanews can i know why my comment is not approved???
Just looked in the pending folder – Disqus probably put it into ‘under review’ comments because of your use of offensive language. Please try posting without using those words.
Sorry about that! umm i didn’t know i used offensive language. its just the same language everyone in the comments post. anyway let me recheck and repost.
done can you please check
oh come on! i have not used any offensive words and still the post does not appear! i have seen the same words being used in the comments here and other articles and now i’m not able to post because i use these same words???? i edited redited redited and still!!
So what about the name of this 18-yo qatari driver? Unknown?!
The Landcruiser driver, guilty? Let’s see one year from now what happens to this guy. Why hide his name?
What the Qatari government NEEDS to do is hire LOCALS as Traffic Police with the AUTHORITY to ticket, fine and apprehend other LOCALS. We ALL know how people drive in Qatar, and MOST of the OFFENDERS are LOCALS. Yes, in the 100km lane they drive 140 – 160kms. This is NO secret, they pass NOT on the right, but try to squeeze in on the LEFT between vehicles in the left lane and the barriers, especially on Salwa Rd. Flashing of Lights NEEDS to be a driving offence, and a fine imposed. There needs to be over 500 cameras installed over the city and outlying areas, they need to have drones circling the city to catch speeders. Speeding WILL NOT stop until the government steps in HARD and takes control of the roads within Qatar.
Absolutely horrific. One thing that does give me some comfort is that the parents and baby died together and not one of the them was left over to face this. I know that sounds a bit heartless, but I don’t know how else to say what I mean! My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
its really sad that some road users by their careless attitude and unsafe driving habits on the roads put the lives of other innocent road users and pedestrians at risk. What did this victims do that they deserved such a horrible death caused by such a careless driver
No amount of car safety equipment will save you from a full speed collision by a reckless driver. The only way that authorities can manage this is if they will make sure that the Guilty gets a severe punishment regardless of their nationaly.
Dose anybody know if this accident was mentioned in local news papers or TV channel ?
@DN, any news about the driver of the LC?
The courts are closed until after Eid break, so we won’t be able to find out more until next week.
He’s probably left the country to drink G&Ts with the Qatari Ambassador in Belgium…..
Quite disturbing to see such accidents happen again and again. Doha roads weren’t like this; in the past.
I am sure, our traffic department will soon be enforcing strict rules to track and trace all traffic violators. May our almighty God comfort and console the sorrowing family members and bring right judgement to the individual who have committed this. It could have been not intentional but due to this driving behavior; an entire family lost their precious lives. I am a firm believer of God. Maybe, this person might escape from the law but he will not be able to escape from the judgement of God. Let people fear God and drive with good conscience.
Having been around the world, one thing I can say from personal observation is that poor driving is everywhere. However, there is a disproportionate level of aggressive and reckless driving in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia as compared to Europe, Latin America, and North America. To some end, I attribute this to an insha’allah attitude, the idea that God has willed it and there’s nothing we can do about it. Additionally, the mindset that one is more entitled to the road than others because of nationality or socioeconomic status is a contributing factor. Consistent enforcement of clear and well-known laws would make a world of difference, as would employing a police force that 1) doesn’t simply park by the side of the road to play with their phones, and 2) isn’t intimidated by a population of people with the influence in high places to make life rough for others.
i have been driving on Qatar roads for the past 4 years. There are people from all nationalities who drive rashly…. A practical solution should to have a quick method to inform police about anyone who is driving rashly. Number plates should be visibly painted in large sized font on the left side of the vehicles so that even pedestrians can report rash driving. Yes …culprits should be caught and severe punishments should be given in a impartial way. Photo and details of culprits should come in all newspapers, irrespective of nationality. Owning or driving a big car gives no one the right to drive rashly and kill people. This is murder . It is very stressful to drive on Qatar roads. I have noticed cars going well over 120 kmph when the speed limit is just 80 kmph in city roads….There should be secret and intelligent cameras to track and catch the culprits. Using mobiles & Smoking should be banned while driving. For women, using make up while driving should be banned apart from mobiles and smoking.High fines should be imposed. License should be cancelled for 6 months and anger management classes and counselling should be given.