Dubai: Responsible motorists, pedestrians and cyclists will be awarded a Dh1,000 cash prize each in the Mobil 1 GoldStar Contest, being held Monday to Wednesday.
Now in its second edition, the contest returns this year with its Responsible Road Users Award.
The winning motorists will be 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.
Road users will be observed and the ones found strictly following road rules will be stopped by authorities — but instead of issuing fines, the RTA and Sharjah Police will reward the safest road users with an instant cash prize of Dh1,000 and a certificate.
A total of Dh30,000 will be awarded during the three-day campaign, with 10 road users awarded on a daily basis. The campaign will be held in Dubai on Monday and Tuesday and in Sharjah on Wednesday.
The organisers said the contest, which encourages road users to inculcate good safety habits, supports the UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda that aims to reduce the number of road deaths to three per 100,000 residents by 2021.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Sharjah Police have joined forces with Mobil 1, EMA Lubricants Company (ExxonMobil JV) and Ciel Marketing & Events in the road safety initiative.
Ciel Marketing & Events is a road safety advocate that has promoted and educated audiences on key road safety issues for many years.
Deema Hussain, traffic awareness senior manager at RTA, said: “The GoldStar Contest is a sustained initiative that adds to our continued efforts to promote road safety awareness. It is a rewarding programme that reaches out to all members of the community, encouraging them to respect road rules at all times. We appreciate the contribution and extend our wholehearted support to the organisers and all partners involved in this campaign. Such initiatives will certainly help keep UAE roads safe.”
The three-day campaign is led by Mobil 1, EMA Lubricants Company (ExxonMobil JV) with Oman Insurance and Porsche Centre Dubai as co-sponsors. It is also supported by Gulf News and Wheels.
Samy Elansary, general manager EMA Lubricants Company (ExxonMobil JV), sole marketers of Mobil in UAE, said: “Road safety methods and measures are very necessary for all of us to reduce the risk of accident or serious injury. It is essential for the safety of common people including cyclists, pedestrians, motorists, and passengers. The Mobil 1 GoldStar Contest is a move towards creating awareness through a simple rewarding process, but we are certain that it will generate tremendous output. Such initiatives help us continue to assist the community into a much more proactive manner and we are delighted to be a part of this initiative.”
Andrew Brody, executive vice-president of consumer lines at Oman Insurance, said: “Respecting road rules go a long way toward preventing accidents and staying safe. Our data shows that generally most accidents happen when drivers don’t observe simple rules of the road like using your indicator when changing lanes, wearing your seat belt and keeping a safe distance from the car in front of you. If raising awareness on simple rules can help make our roads safer, then we are happy to support such initiatives.”
Roshanara Sait, director of Ciel Marketing & Events and founder of the GoldStar Contest campaign, said: “Road safety is a shared responsibility. Creating and spreading road safety awareness by rewarding responsible road users is what the GoldStar Contest is all about. The on-ground road event goes a step further in attracting the attention of the greater number of people as it targets every road user. We are confident that it will translate into positive results.”
