Safety rules: Buckle up, please

 Dubai:  A British expatriate and concerned mother of two girls has launched a unique initiative to promote greater safety on dangerous roads in Dubai.

Lesley Cully, who works as a part-time shop assistant at the book chain Magrudy's, said she launched her campaign "Buckle Up in the Back Dubai" in May this year as she was concerned over the callousness of commuters who did not think it necessary to fasten their seat belts in the rear seats of cars.

The fatality factor

"Anyone without a seat belt is a moving missile in the back of the car," she said, citing research that had established how an unrestrained passenger in the rear seat of a car that crashes at 30mph (48km/h) could hit the front seat with a force that is 30-60 times their own body weight, thus affecting everyone inside.

The campaign was launched on Facebook in May this year. "It was the best option as it was a quick and cheap tool to spread my message," said Cully, noting that the campaign had enlisted 863 fans so far, including car manufacturers and school authorities who are keen to build on the campaign.

However, Cully, who is clear about not making the campaign commercial, said her only aim is to change basic attitudes and behaviour with regard to unstrapped travelling.

Cully will be visiting schools in Dubai to create awareness among parents on the need to have their children buckled up in booster seats kept in the back seats of their cars when they are on the road. She said she hoped to play on the ‘pestering power' of children who could influence parents to get them these seats.

Stickers that say "Buckle Up in the Back Dubai" will also be distributed free of cost so that when they are stuck on the windshields of cars, they would serve as constant reminders to people on the road. Cully said she also planned to get a seat belt simulator so that she could demonstrate the impact of unrestrained travelling during a collision to students and parents in schools. "All cars these days are built with seat belts in the back and there is no reason why people should not use them," she said.