DUBAI: Chairman of the Emirates Motor Sports Federation HH Sheikh Marwan Bin Rashid Al Mualla on Monday (December 10) welcomed an initiative to teach school children the basic road safety rules by launching an awareness campaign in Amwaj Primary School, Umm Al Quwain.

Arriving at the school accompanied by UAQ Deputy Director General of Police Col. Rashid Gaddah and Education Department Director Abeed Al Qaoud, Sheikh Marwan was given a first-hand account of the progress of the school by Principal Fatima Abdulkarim.

During his discussion with EMSF Director for Planning and Business Development Ms Roshanara Sait, Sheikh Marwan, a motor sport enthusiast and car collector, lauded the Federation’s role in promoting road safety over the years and welcomed the current initiative to educate children at a young age on the need to adhere to road rules.

Ms Sait briefed Sheikh Marwan on the progress being made towards realizing his dream of setting up a mini traffic city where children as young as eight up to 12 years will be taught basic road safety rules via an audio-visual presentation by a qualified instructor.

Following this presentation, children will drive through the mini traffic city, to be set up complete with miniatures of local landmarks, traffic signals, traffic signs, roundabouts, Zebra crossings, etc, giving them the opportunity to put to use their recently acquired knowledge with respect to road and safe driving rules, Ms Sait explained.

In a demonstration of events to take place at the under-construction mini traffic city, Sheikh Marwan took a tour of a mini city set up for the purpose at Amwaj Primary School where children were first briefed on safety rules and road signs and thereafter drove through the mini city in pedal cars.

At the end of it all, the children received a “license” card stating “My First License – I Know My Road Rules.”

The plastic license cards carry all details of the child and though it does not permit the children to drive, it does indicate that the card holder has participated in a road safety campaign and knows his/her traffic rules.

While the children also received a gift pack that included chocolates, a t-shirt and cap courtesy Al Nabooda Automobiles, Lacnor chipped in with toys thereby making the event a fun way of learning about a serious issue that plagues Dubai’s roads.