Children make up 63% of road accident victims in Dubai
According to reports issued by the Dubai Health Authority, 63% of accident victims in Dubai are children, which is almost three folds of the global rates of 22.3%.
In an effort to reduce these alarming figures, in line with the Roads and Transport Authority's (RTA’s) strategy and vision of ensuring "safe and smooth transport for all," the Women's Committee of RTA has launched an initiative to ensure children safety while traveling with their families and to protect them from sustaining injuries and ensure the highest degree of safety during their travel.
The Women's Committee of the RTA has launched a new initiative granting female employees complimentary vehicle baby seats as part of “Hadiyya” programme for buying instant gifts on social events for all RTA’s male and female employees in a bid to educate them about the importance of using vehicle baby seats and ensure their safety on the roads.
Kawther Kazim, Director of Human Resources and Development and Chairperson of RTA’s Women Committee said, “The RTA attaches great importance to traffic safety and participates in various traffic activities & events to showcase the best services on offer to road users, revise regulations & procedures associated with the traffic movement and improve traffic safety levels.”
“Providing baby seats in vehicles commands paramount importance as they are considered one of the key accessories when taking babies onboard regardless of the desired destination. Unsecured babies onboard are seven times more likely to sustain serious injuries or even deaths; therefore it is recommended to constantly use vehicle baby seats, fasten the built-in safety belts or use the secure system,” continued Kawther.
“The Committee has distributed Arabic & English leaflets containing information about baby’s safety & security onboard highlighting the importance of the safety belt for both pregnant women and fetuses. It also explained the appropriate driving seat positioning for pregnant women, proper way to install safety belt safely and protect babies from road risks and how to seat them in the vehicle, and the safety guidelines about vehicle baby seats,” added the Chairperson of RTA Women Committee.