BMW Group Middle East will educate 3,000 students on the basics of road safety.
The campaign follows a similar one last year, in which 5,000 school children aged 6-9 years old learnt the fundamentals of road safety as part of a unique hands-on educational experience.
Taking place over two weeks, and with the strong support of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and Abu Dhabi Police, this year's edition of My First Licence - I Know My Road Rules will educate and students from nine schools across the UAE.
The programme has already begun in Dubai, and will move on to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
"My passion to educate children about the benefits of knowing and understanding road safety habits has always spurred me into creating avenues to spread this message further," said Roshanara Sait, campaign Founder and Director of Ciel Events, the organisers.
"The whole idea is to form an exciting and interactive environment where the children can have a lasting memory of the learning experience and to inspire them to live by the rules of the road.
These children will one day be motorists on our roads. We therefore need to instill good road safety habits and ensure they are aware of their responsibilities as pedestrians, passengers and future drivers from an early age to ensure safer roads for the future," said Leanne Blanckenberg, Corporate Communications Manager for BMW Group in the Middle East.
To drum up interest among the youngsters, BMW included a mini road travel scenario that is replicated within each school, including a network of road signs, zebra crossings, a roundabout and traffic signals.
An instructor runs through basic road safety rules and teaches the youngsters the difference between key road signs. Using miniature cars, the students then learn to navigate the road network by the RTA and police, who highlight how the road safety rules that were discussed in class previously can be applied in on the UAE's roads.
After successfully completing the challenge, each student is awarded an envelope containing a personalised plastic license card with their name and photo which is endorsed by the Abu Dhabi police, RTA and KHDA, alongside an interactive story book on road rules and a "We Know Our Road Rules" magnet.
"Children are extremely vulnerable and it is our duty to ensure that they have the right guidance to better their lives and their future. Programmes such as My First License' - I Know My Road Rules are created to set them on the right path," said Colonel Jamal Salem Al Amri, Head of Public Relations, Abu Dhabi Police GHQ.
The participating schools this year are: Wellington International School, Victoria International School, Al Ittihad Private School, The Apple International School, GEMS Royal Dubai School, Al Ameen School, Al Bateen School, GEMS Cambridge International School and GEMS Winchester School.
Page last updated 31 December 2019