Dubai: A road safety campaign targeting 250,000 school children was launched at Za'abeel Park on Friday with a carnival.
Entrance to the carnival was free.
The day included safety drills for children showing how and when to cross a road at a zebra crossing, as well as edutainment programmes.
The road safety programme, "Little Steps For Safety", has taken on special significance with figures showing that 137 children between the ages of 1 and 14 were killed or injured in road accidents last year.
The campaign will target pupils in 85 public and 125 private schools in Dubai, and then move on to other emirates.
Dubai First UAE, an affiliate of Dubai Group, is the brains behind the campaign, with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Police, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Emirates Driving Institute all joining forces.
An RTA official said it is important to educate children about road safety as they will be the motorists of the future.
An executive of Dubai First UAE earlier remarked that it is not only trying to raise awareness but also wants to change the way parents, school staff, mot-orists, and children apply safety measures in their daily lives.
A senior executive of the Emirates Driving Institute remarked that half of child deaths occur because parents do not ensure that children are restrained in their seats.
Seat belts
Authorities also said the wearing of seat belts in schoolbuses will be made mandatory. An RTA official said it is an important issue and is being dealt with as a priority.
"Parents should not wait for the law to start using child seats in their cars, because it will help reduce injuries and deaths of children," he said.