Official says several fatal accidents involving young drivers took place as a result of taking selfies.
'Selfie' craze among the youth has resulted in several fatal accidents in Sharjah, prompting the police here to organise an awareness campaign to make motorists aware of the dangers associated with the practice. Selfie is the practice of taking a self-portrait photograph, and if done while driving, it can lead to immediate death, the Sharjah Police have warned.
Such has been the prevalence of the practice that the Sharjah Police organised the awareness programme titled ‘Taking a selfie can end your life ... selfies are a danger that you have to stop practising'.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Major Abdel Rahman Khater, Director of Awareness and Traffic at Sharjah Police, noted that several fatal accidents involving young drivers took place as a result of taking selfies. "Motorists get distracted while taking selfies and drive recklessly while posing before phone cameras. The campaign highlights this negative practice by young motorists who are misusing technology and endangering their lives and the lives of other road users.”
Major Khater expressed "shock” at the practice. "Despite our regular awareness campaigns, we are shocked to witness the growing number of road accidents resulting from taking selfies. Taking selfies (while driving) is a disregard for the traffic rules as it means the motorist concerned is driving without paying full attention on the road.”
The official also pointed out that some motorists leave the steering wheel to take photographs of other accidents while driving, which he termed as "equally dangerous”.
"Parents of young motorists should play a positive role in educating their children about the fatal consequences of taking selfies while driving and they should help them protect their lives and respect traffic rules,” he added.