Dubai: The Mobil 1 GoldStar road safety campaign began on Monday in Dubai, with 10 road users receiving a Dh1,000 cash prize each for strictly following traffic rules.
Road users were observed on Monday and the ones found closely adhering to traffic rules were stopped by authorities. But instead of issuing fines, authorities rewarded the safest road users with the instant cash prize and a certificate.
A total of Dh30,000 will be awarded during the three-day Responsible Road Users Award, with 10 road users awarded on a daily basis. The campaign is being held in Dubai on Tuesday as well, followed by Sharjah on Wednesday. The campaign is being supported by Gulf News.
The winning motorists are being chosen for various reasons, such as the use of child safety seats in the vehicle, wearing seat belts, using hands-free mobile devices and indicators, lane discipline, and observing speed limits.
For pedestrians, the award could be for the use of designated pedestrian crossings while cyclists could win it for following road traffic safety practices to reduce risks associated with cycling.
On Monday, Vijay Shankar, a motorist from India was one of the winners. He said he was nervous when he was pulled over near the vegetable market in Al Awir.
“I didn’t understand what I could have done wrong. My thoughts were how much will the fine be and could I afford to pay it. I was so relieved and happy to win a prize instead,” said Shankar, 29, who is a civil engineer in Dubai.
“Safe driving is important not just for you, but also for other road users. I always make it a point to be alert behind the wheel. As for the cash prize, I’ll gift it to my wife who will decide what to do with it.”
Another winner, Maher Saad, a Russian businessman or Lebanese origin, was also nervous when he was stopped near Arabian Centre.
“I thought maybe I did make some mistake, although I was confident I had not; or maybe the authorities made a mistake. They told me they had been observing me, that I was a good driver. I was pleasantly surprised to win the prize,” said Saad, 52, who has no traffic fines.
