Various initiatives have been rolled out by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) which include handing out cash prizes, to raise road safety awareness as part of the Unified Gulf Traffic Week happening until March 12 under the theme "Your Life is a Trust."
Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, said the initiatives are “targeting different groups such as children, students, cyclists, scooter riders, and individuals who have been injured in traffic accidents, as well as the public."
“RTA also participated in a special stand within the Ministry of Interior’s pavilion at Global Village, along with traffic departments in the UAE. The focus of RTA was to raise awareness about traffic safety requirements for bike and e-scooter users, and stress the importance of fastening seat belts and pedestrian safety,” she added.
Bin Adai enumerated: “The agency sought the assistance of its strategic partners in the exhibition, such as Emirates Driving Institute, which brought in a kinetic device that rotates a life-size vehicle on a horizontal axis to educate participants on the significance of seat belts during a vehicle rollover. Additionally, Careem Bike showcased a bicycle rental station in Dubai and gave simplified explanations about traffic safety requirements while using bikes.”
RTA also launched the "Golden Rules for Generational Safety" in collaboration with Tristar at the Zayed Education Complex in Al Barsha. Moreover, approximately 10,000 students were directly targeted by deploying mobile traffic villages at schools. “The initiative also involved the distribution of innovative gifts and educational brochures accompanied by scientific questionnaires to measure students' awareness and knowledge trends,” noted Bin Adai.
Reward for safe riders:
Another initiative was launched to honour the users of bicycles and e-scooters. According to Bin Adai, RTA, in collaboration with Dubai Police, distributed a total of Dh20,000 to 20 exemplary drivers and users of bikes and e-scooters over two consecutive days at various locations.”
The Traffic and Roads Agency also arranged for high school students to visit traffic accident victims at Rashid Hospital in Dubai to raise awareness about the risks associated with traffic accidents and their impact on road users' lives.
Other awareness activities include holding educational lectures for mothers on child seat safety at some hospitals and malls in Dubai, and the introduction of the ‘In-Safe Hands’ service for children and women offered by Dubai Taxi Corporation.
