Women investigators provide psychological support

Special women police officers at the Traffic and Patrols Directorate of the Abu Dhabi Police are in charge of investigating with women drivers who cause traffic accidents. They also provide psychological support to these women to help them cope with the emotional shock from the accidents they are involved in, and take their statement. This is achieved in a way that preserves women's privacy and puts them at ease to ensure a seamless investigation process.
To this end, the Traffic and Patrols Directorate has set up an office to handle traffic accidents involving female drivers. It also provided specialised female police officers to follow-up on the circumstances surrounding the accidents, both on site and at the office with the women involved. They are dispatched to the accident's site as soon as notification is received by the operations room, where they take the initial statement before conducting an extensive investigation at the office.
Female investigators from the women's traffic accidents' investigation office commented on the nature of their work and the services they provide, and how they manage to reconcile between their home and work responsibilities (the shift system); which represents a challenge to them as mothers.
First Warrant Officer Mastourah Juman, Investigator at the Traffic and Patrols Directorate, Major Accidents Section, said: "The field and office investigation process with respect to traffic accidents caused by women drivers is conducted by specialised female officers in accordance with the procedures applicable in this regard. In such cases, women are provided with psychological support so as to help them overcome their fear at the time of the accident, while maintaining their privacy in case they need to be transferred to the hospital, which is a prevalent occurrence with women who suffer an emotional shock when involved in a car accident." She added: "Dispatching female officers to the accident's site is based on the severity of the accident and the incidence of injuries, which require their immediate intervention. Moreover, the female driver who caused the accident is summoned to the investigation office to provide her with some kind of comfort, confidence and privacy in order to take her statement." In conclusion, First Warrant Officer Juman noted that while most road accidents in Abu Dhabi were still caused by men, the number of crashes involving women was rising. However, they are mostly minor accidents and usually due to lack of attention and failure to leave sufficient safe distance between vehicles, in addition to getting distracted from the road.
Commenting on how the office deals with notifications related to traffic accidents caused by women, First Warrant Officer Roqayah Hassan Al Hosani said: "Upon receiving a notification from the Operations Department, we are provided with the accident's coordinates, and the number of women injured or involved in the crash. The competent police officers complete investigation, take photos of the car accident's scene, and start taking people's statements. If fault cannot be determined, the officers would resort to the traffic camera footage, or refer the case to the public prosecution to resolve the conflict." Elaborating on the difficulties faced by female investigators while following-up on the case at the accident's site, First Warrant Officer Al Hosani pointed out to the harsh climate conditions particularly the soaring temperatures during summer. She added: "Female investigators have to cope with the various reactions of women drivers who cause accidents especially if the accident is serious. In this case, they take into account the psychological condition of the woman who caused or is affected by the traffic accident." For her part, Sergeant Rawda Abdullah Al Ali who works on an 8-hour rotating shift basis indicated that her job requires her to work morning, afternoon and night shifts on a rotating basis. She said: "This work schedule requires delicate time management in order to reconcile between family life and work responsibilities, and to avoid any negative impact on my children, which may be caused by my night shifts, which extend from 8:30 pm to 5:30 am." She also noted that women cause fewer accidents than male drivers in late hours of the night; while there is an equal prevalence of accidents caused by male and female drivers during daytime.
Asked about how she would react if the female driver who caused the accident was in a traumatic state or suffered an emotional shock after a car accident or any other reason, Sergeant Al Ali explained: "Dealing with such cases is different and requires us to inspire confidence and a sense of security to the women involved in the crash in order to create the appropriate environment to take their statement. Being involved in an accident often yields a strong reaction among some women, which forces us to send them home and postpone investigation to a later date." In conclusion, she added that she is striving to carry out her family duties and responsibilities in the best possible way even at the expense of her personal comfort; something she regards as a natural behaviour in a job that requires sacrifice and selflessness.
Source: WAM