Watch: 6,500 UAE students to learn how to stay safe on daily school trips in new awareness drive

The learning programme covers topics like travel safety guidelines on school buses, as well as emergency protocols

A school road safety awareness campaign — targeting 6,500 students — was recently launched in Abu Dhabi.

The goal, the authorities said, is to help ensure the safety of students throughout their trips to and from their schools. Held under the patronage of the Higher Committee for Traffic Safety, the drive was launched by Abu Dhabi's Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) in partnership with STS Group and RoadSafetyUAE at Horizon Private School Abu Dhabi. It aims to reach more than 6,500 students in 20 schools within 6 months.

Based on their learning level, students take part in interactive games and quizzes that teach them to treat road safety as an ongoing responsibility.

The learning programme covers topics like travel safety guidelines on school buss and on the road, as well as emergency protocols. One of the learning modules is based on local laws related to the use of personal mobility devices (PMDs) like bicycles and e-bikes.

The campaign also includes interactive board games designed to teach students road safety practices and danger zones surrounding the school bus. Winners of the games receive goodie bags and one lucky student was awarded a bicycle, while another took home an e-bike.

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Proper conduct on roads

Steve Burnell, managing director of STS Group, said: "The purpose of the campaign is to embed traffic safety principles, proper conduct on roads, and the values of safe driving in children from an early age. By doing so constructively and systematically, we will contribute to reducing road crashes and help raise a generation of safer drivers for the future.”