‘ROAD SAFETY COMES WITH VOLUNTARY COOPERATION’
Spearheading the campaign of safe driving, the Emirates Driving Company is bringing about collective change in the attitude of motorists under the able guidance of its CEO Khaled Al Mansoori
Despite a progressive positive driving culture over the years, UAE roads are still not free of fatalities. According to a recent news report, 59 lives were lost in the UAE roads in 2018 alone. It is a known fact that UAE is the melting pot with residents from different backgrounds. Although this trend provides a great multicultural mix, it is very difficult to bring everyone on the same page when it comes to adhering to traffic rules and regulations as different nationalities have a different understanding of road safety standards.
Studies have proven that inappropriate behaviour and habits of drivers lead to many of those accidents. The estimated financial loss due to road accidents constitutes 1.3 per cent of GDP in the UAE that equates to the country’s entire GDP growth in 2017. The road traffic fatalities rate per 100,000 population in UAE is 10.9, as compared to just 2.9 in the UK.
Mapping the development of road safety in the UAE roads has been the Emirates Driving Company (EDC), a premier driving education school in Abu Dhabi. Joint efforts of law enforcement and efficient driving education and training by the company have been effective in bringing down the rate of accidents since its inception in 2000 up until today.
Aligning with UAE Vision 2021 of addressing road traffic fatalities as an area of national priority, EDC has successfully served to influence the driving culture in the UAE under the leadership of its dynamic CEO Khaled Al Mansoori.
“Our biggest challenge perhaps is to make everyone understand the true value of proper driving education and training. we strongly discourage people from taking up training only as a process to obtain a licence. It is much more than that. we focus on educating learners about how safe driving can impact their lives, their families and their wealth through a series of carefully planned sessions of practical lessons and counselling. Road fatalities are preventable but the voluntary support of drivers is crucial,” says Al Mansoori.
To address the issue of safe driving, the EDC has adopted a number of measures that stress on the practical aspects during the training conducted in the safety hall and safe environment where the importance of proper adjustment of the headrest, wearing the seat belt and G-force is explained in great detail.
“we are regularly collaborating with various government bodies to educate and bring about awareness about the dangers of high-speeding, use of mobile phones and about the impact of climatic factors through campaigns and seminars.”
leveraging its unparalleled strength in driving safety instruction, EDC follows a stringent and thorough policy when it comes to hiring their driving instructors.
“Apart from their technical knowledge, we select candidates who are good at presentation and lectures. They should be able to transfer knowledge to new learners in a positive way. They should be believers of safety themselves first,” explains the CEO.
The EDC has been providing services to clients in Oil and Gas; Abu Dhabi national Oil Company (ADnOC), Abu Dhabi Police, private schools, hospitals and numerous other corporations.
with ride-hailing services such as Uber and Careem steadily gaining market in GCC, the need for professionally trained drivers has become all the more important.
“At the end of the day, they are service providers. EDC trains drivers the essentials of customer service. we train them to be reliable as drivers who will impact the image of the company.” EDC’s expansion plans Alumni of the prestigious George washington University and a graduate from the higher Colleges of Technology, innovative ideas have been Mansoori’s forte. when asked about the impact of technology in EDC, he is quick to point out the needs of today’s customer.
“To survive in today’s market, companies have to do what their customers like doing. The digital age has provided many options. we are soon launching E-learning services whereby customers can access our training modules from the comfort of their desired spaces without having to come to the training institute. we are also using Driving simulators whereby we can provide new drivers with the experience of driving in a totally low-risk environment. They can experience how it feels to drive in the rain, heat and other climatic conditions.”
“we will also be providing psychology assistance to drivers to educate them in the attitudes and behaviour to encourage voluntary cooperation and support of drivers which will lead to a long-term improvement in road safety.”
with interest in all things related to technology, Mansoori views driverless cars as an exciting proposition but feels that the infrastructure in the region is quite not ready for their efficient operation.
“for one driverless car cannot operate in uncharted places. The practicality of operation of such cars will depend on the spread of network, otherwise, it will not be a safe mode of transport. Many regions in
To address the issue of safe driving, the EDC has adopted a number of measures that stress on the practical aspects during the training conducted in the safety hall and safe environment where the importance of proper adjustment of the headrest, wearing the seat belt and G-force is explained in great detail
the GCC and Middle East do not have basic asphalt roads. The question of fully automated cars is now a distant reality.”
Official statistics show distraction to be the main cause of driving accidents. The need to check mobiles phones every now and then has become a major issue with people in the present times.
“Awareness of your surrounding is the most important aspect while driving. Drivers must be absolutely sure of what is behind, in front and the sides of their vehicles. Using smartphones while driving should be absolutely discouraged at all times. Motorists tend to overlook the importance of slowing down gradually before stopping. By following the practice consciously, it allows fellow drivers to be aware of your intention to stop and minimises the chance of bumping into each other. Maintaining distance between vehicles in front and behind is crucial for safety. On the road, drivers should read and watch their surroundings at all times, stresses Al Mansoori.