Dubai: A total of Dh50,000 will be awarded to safe drivers from October 19-23 as part of Porsche’s bi-annual Roadstar campaign, which aims to promote responsible driving by rewarding those who adhere to traffic rules.
Drivers from Dubai and Sharjah have the chance to win Dh1,000 a day, along with a certificate endorsed by the respective emirate.
The initiative will mark its 32nd edition when it gets under way in Dubai from October 19-21 and then moves to Sharjah from October 22-23. Plans were in the making to introduce the campaign in Fujairah, but the organisers have decided to postpone the move given the time constraints.
Drivers who adhere to the basic principles of good driving such as wearing seat belts, using child safety seats, using indicators and hands-free mobiles, observing lane discipline and displaying courtesy in addition to staying within the speed limits will come under the organisers’ scanner.
“The idea of rewarding safe drivers and creating a buzz around them is important because it has an immediate positive impact on the drivers and their group of friends and family. This is an extremely effective way of spreading a road safety culture among our drivers,” K. Rajaram, CEO of Al Nabooda Automobiles, the sole distributor for Porsche in Dubai and the northern emirates, said.
Ciel Events Director and founder of the RoadStar campaign Roshanara Sait said: “If each one of us makes a conscious effort to drive safe, precious lives will be saved… Driving safe must become a habit and such initiatives should be undertaken on a regular basis as they certainly create awareness. It is a long process, but well worth it because I believe the younger generation, the new drivers, are the ones we should target before they make bad driving a habit.”
The campaign made its debut in 1998 with the Emirates Motor Sports Federation (EMSF) and the full support of the police departments of the concerned emirates. The initiative has seen thousands of drivers win one of Dh1,000 of the Dh10,000 daily cash awards in addition to a certificate issued by the police.
Mohammad Bin Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, President of the Emirates Motor Sports Federation and FIA Vice-President said: “We are happy to again lend our support to an initiative that sets out to promote safe driving and recognises and rewards those who best follow our traffic rules, in doing so setting an example for others.”
Colonel Saif Mohair Al Mazrouei, Director of the General Directorate of Traffic of Dubai Police said: “Anything and anybody connected with safe driving projects must be encouraged because they are undertaking a social responsibility.”
