UAE aims to nurture a generation committed to traffic safety

The Roads and Transport Authority has been organising events in schools to raise traffic awareness amongst students.

Since the start of the academic year, the RTA has held 43 school events including lectures, training workshops, brochure distribution and screening of animated films.

The aim of the events is to nurture a generation that is aware of traffic issues and committed to following road rules and guidance, said Hussain Al Banna, director of traffic at the Roads and Transport Authority.

"Improving traffic attitudes of students is a top priority of the traffic awareness drive. Dubai schools have witnessed no school-related accident fatalities over the past four years."

Among the programmes is School Friends, which teaches children in nurseries and primary schools how to board a bus and safely cross roads.

The School Events programme is aimed at intermediate and secondary pupils, and school bus drivers, and focuses on using seat belts, the risks of excessive speed and the importance of complying with traffic rules.

The agency also plans to expand Traffic Track, launched recently at Al Aqsa School, in which pupils are introduced to traffic and how to protect themselves from accidents.

* Mohammed N Al Khan