Special Features
More Than 5,000 UAE School Children Are Being Educated About The Dangers Of Road Traffic
A three-week road safety campaign for school children, which is being conducted by Total Marketing Middle East, Ciel Marketing & Events, and supported by Dubai Police, has seen a positive response from schools and students alike.When completed, the campaign, named ‘My First License – I Know My Road Rules’ will have successfully educated 5,000 school children (between the ages of five and nine) about road safety, from 10 schools across the UAE.
To date, campaign representatives have visited six schools and interacted with more than 2,500 students. As part of the activities, children attend a basic road safety training programme led by a qualified instructor, and have the opportunity to apply their knowledge of road rules in a simulated traffic scenario, including traffic lights, zebra crossings, speed limits, U-turns and more, while driving in a pedal car.
Ann Jones, Head Teacher at JESS Arabian Ranches, said: “Road safety awareness is vital for our pupils as it enables them to act and respond in an appropriate manner to situations they may find themselves in. Hopefully this will lead to them having a well-established awareness and good habits as they become adults. Training opportunities such as this matter as children in Dubai do not get the day-to-day opportunity to develop good road safety awareness.”
Every participant will receive a plastic card that states ‘My First License – I Know My Road Rules’ endorsed by the Dubai Police. The colorful cards carry the child’s name, their photograph, and the name of their school.
Alaistair Fraser, primary school Deputy Principal at Emirates International School in the Meadows, Dubai, said: “Getting a license from real police officers makes a big impression on our children. They were really excited. I thought that the programme was well organised and the practical activities were great fun. This was a really worthwhile learning event.”
Roshanara Sait from Ciel Marketing & Events, joint organisers of the campaign, said: “The response to this campaign has been amazing. It’s very encouraging to see such a large turnout of children all eager to receive their licence, which can act as a reminder to practise road safety regularly.”
The ‘My First License – I Know My Road Rules’ campaign aims to teach children about the serious aspects of road safety in an easy and interactive manner. Reinforcing their road safety skills with a practical drive in a relaxed atmosphere provides children with hands-on experience. A takeaway booklet created by the organisers is given to each child to enable them to brush up on their awareness of road safety rules.
