BMW Group Middle East, supported by the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the Road and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA), Abu Dhabi Municipality and Dubai Municipality, has launched its 'Stay Alert. Stay Alive.' road safety initiative in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of various road safety issues. Following an independent survey of BMW and MINI customers to help identify what prompts drivers in the GCC region to take risks in their vehicles, BMW Group Middle East has identified the use of seat-belts, and in particular, appropriate child restraints, as the theme of its first campaign under the initiative that is aimed at increasing road safety awareness across the board.
BMW Group Middle East is initially launching the 'Stay Alert. Stay Alive.' campaign in the UAE with the aim to then implement the campaign across the GCC. Working closely with BMW Group importers, the campaign will be multi-faceted and will focus on many attitudinal road safety issues including seat belts and child restraints, speeding, fatigue, driver distraction (such as mobile phones) and reckless driving. The integrated campaign will use PR, advertising (print and radio) and marketing tactics. Awareness Days in local parks and at BMW importer showrooms will be used to give away 10,000 child safety booster cushions across the region and to demonstrate the correct use of child safety seats in vehicles.
Speaking at a press conference to launch the campaign, Phil Horton, managing director of BMW Group Middle East, said, "As part of our commitment to help improve road safety in the region, we are launching an initiative to help drivers understand about safe driving habits and particularly, occupant safety and restraint systems.
"BMW Group Middle East believes that everyone should be fully aware of how best to protect themselves and their children against the dangers posed by driving. We all have a role to play - the government, automotive companies, and the general public. Without a doubt, the simplest way for drivers and passengers to protect themselves is to buckle-up every time."
Over 70% of GCC drivers surveyed by BMW Group Middle East said that they travel with their children or families, with many of these admitting that they and their passengers did not use seat belts all the time, especially those sat in the rear. When it came to protecting children, 94% of respondents said that it was important for children to use restraints but 37% confessed that their children didn't use them. In fact, most admitted to holding their children in their arms as a passenger, an extremely dangerous practice.
A study conducted by the UAE University in 2008 revealed 98% of children travelling in a car were not restrained and 23% of children travelled in the front seat, which is actually illegal in the UAE for children below the age of ten. In the same study on average only 29% of drivers wore seat belts.
According to HAAD, 454 people, including 44 children, died of road traffic injuries in Abu Dhabi in 2009. This accounts for 67% of all deaths from injuries and therefore makes road traffic injuries the leading cause of injury death. Abu Dhabi still has one of the world's highest rates of road death - an incidence of 20.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2009.
Until the age of seven, children's bones are still forming and their skull and ribcage are still extremely flexible. This means that any impact can result in significant deformation of the head and brain, or damage to the heart, lungs and other internal organs. At this age, the pelvis is unstable and cannot withstand the forces from the use of regular seat-belts and therefore appropriate child restraints are essential to reduce the risk of injury.
Dr. Jens Thomsen, section head for Occupational and Environmental Health and Head of the HAAD Road Safety Program, Public Health and Research Department at HAAD, said, "It is essential for parents to ensure they use the right restraint for their child's age and size. There are different seats available and the selection of the appropriate one is crucial to ensuring that children are effectively protected. Children cannot be expected to decide on how best to protect themselves: that responsibility is solely in the hands of their parents. By buying and correctly installing the right car restraints for their children, parents can significantly enhance their protection."
Child restraints have been shown to reduce infant deaths by approximately 70%, and fatalities by between 54% and 80% in an accident. It is also known that 83% of belted and restrained children remain uninjured in accidents. Booster seats for children aged between four and 11 years old have been shown to reduce the risk of injury by 59% compared to seat belts alone.
In the UAE, and according to 2007 figures from the UAE Ministry of Interior, 29% of all road deaths involve car passengers. This statistic could easily be reversed if drivers insisted on all passengers wearing seat belts.
Peyman Parham Younes, director of marketing and Corporate Communication for Dubai's RTA, said, "While we have seen a significant improvement in overall road safety and specifically fatal crashes on Dubai roads, there remains a lot of work to be done on achieving the targets set by the RTA, to be in-line with global benchmarks.
"The matter of road safety is a critical responsibility of each and every member of this community, and only with this community voice can there be great change. I urge everyone to join in events such as this one being announced today by BMW and help to make this city safer for its sons and daughters."
Horton concluded, "A basic criterion for assessing road safety is the accident rate. Our survey found that one out of 10 respondents was involved in a traffic accident in the last 12 months. While the drivers we surveyed were all well aware of the basic factors that affect safe driving and occupant safety, their actual behaviour often puts themselves and their passengers at risk. "
The 'Stay Alert. Stay Alive' Awareness Days will be held on Friday 02 April 2010 at the Abu Dhabi Corniche, and Friday 09 April at the Dubai Creekside Park, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Municipality and Dubai Municipality, as well as BMW importers Abu Dhabi Motors and AGMC. BMW Group Middle East will be giving away 4,000 child safety booster cushions at these two events.
