Dubai, UAE – Dubai Police revealed a concerning statistic that two children have lost their lives, and 45 others have sustained injuries in road traffic incidents over the past ten months. This announcement was made during the launch of a child safety campaign designed to educate parents on the significance of using child seats to mitigate the number of traffic-related injuries and fatalities involving children.
Major General Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, the Director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police, provided detailed information regarding the traffic incidents involving children, citing a total of 47 accidents. Tragically, two children lost their lives, while 45 others suffered injuries of varying degrees, including one classified as serious, 19 as of medium severity, and 25 as minor injuries.
The “Child Seat, Safety and Serenity” campaign underscores the paramount importance of child safety and protection from potential dangers, with Al Mazroui urging parents to use child seats in the back of vehicles to ensure the safety of their children during travel. He emphasized that allowing a child under the age of ten or shorter than 145cm to sit in the front seat is both hazardous and against traffic laws, subject to a fine of Dh400. This practice endangers the child’s life and safety in the event of sudden stops, traffic accidents, or vehicle rollovers.
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Dubai Police aims to raise community awareness about the correct usage of child seats to guarantee everyone’s safety within the vehicle. This involves selecting the appropriate type of seat based on the child’s age and properly installing the seat. As part of the campaign, the General Department of Traffic will distribute free child seats to parents in various regions of the emirate. This initiative is intended to foster a culture of child road safety and reduce the number of child-related road accidents and fatalities in Dubai.
