-Speed, not wearing your seatbelt, dangerous driving and using mobile phones are the leading causes of accidents and fatalities on Abu Dhabi roads
-FLASH Entertainment announces the launch of a month-long road safety campaign in schools and universities in the Capital
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - FLASH Entertainment today announced that leading road safety campaigners and celebrity speakers began visiting schools and universities in the Capital this week, as part of a month-long community strategy to educated students on road safety.
FLASH has teamed up with KHP Consulting, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Abu Dhabi Traffic Police, Emirates Driving Company, Yas Marina Circuit, some of the country's most respected professional drivers, and Abu Dhabi football stars to deliver an exceptional interactive and educational campaign, Yasalam Responsibly.
Part of Yasalam Live Across the City, Yasalam Responsibly aims to drive home the message that speed, not wearing a seatbelt, dangerous driving, talking on mobile phones and texting while driving are the leading causes of accidents and fatalities on our roads. The community initiative also aims reach out to passengers, who play a key role in ensuring their friends drive responsibly.
The campaign, which started on 10 October and ends on 14 November, has so far seen Emirati motor racing star Mohammad Al Mutawwa, Gulf Sports Race Team Manager, Barry Hope, Muna Abdulla Bin Zoubaa representing the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi Traffic Police representatives and football players from Baniyas Club - Saad Mubarak, Fahad Ahmed and Masoud Sulaiman- visit the Abu Dhabi International School, NYU Abu Dhabi, HCT, Women's Campus Abu Dhabi and Khalifa City. They spoke with students about the importance of staying alert and avoiding distractions while driving.
The 45-minute seminar topics include:
• Friends Can Wait - Concentrate
• Passengers are just as responsible as drivers to check their friends are driving safely.
• Mobile Phone Use is one of the latest causes of road accidents especially amongst youth. Texting or talking on the phone seriously affects a driver's response times. Drivers are urged not to use phones and concentrate on driving - messages and phone calls can wait.
• Speeding: This is the leading cause of road accident fatalities in Abu Dhabi
• Use of Seatbelt: This is the second cause of road accident fatalities in Abu Dhabi with ONLY 11% of UAE Nationals and 44% of expats use safety belts.
The seminars are followed by an interactive session with Yas Marina Circuit providing various vehicles for display, such as Renault Clio RS, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, Yas Supersports SST and Formula Yas 3000. In addition, Emirates Driving Company provided a rolling car simulator.
In addition to voluntarily signing a pledge, declaring to no longer phone and/or text and drive, dozens of students will be given the opportunity to create a road safety campaign. The campaign will be subsequently presented to and judged by leading figures in the Abu Dhabi community. The winners will have their campaign featured in the local media plus win some exciting prizes, including tickets to the first night after-race concert to see pop princess Britney Spears perform at the Yas Arena on Yas Island.
The Yasalam Responsibly campaign will also spread throughout the community, with a special booth setup at the F1 FanZone from 28 October - 14 November. It will feature; a photomontage of all the campus visits, a display of pledge certificates signed by high profile figures from Abu Dhabi and UAE, a car that has been wrecked in an high speed crash, that will later be used on 4 November by an extrication team for a demonstration of how people are taken out of a car in emergencies. In addition, there will be a photo booth which prints free pictures that features fun road safety template as well as the Yasalam Responsibly Pledge Counter, which will show the number of people who pledge to be safer drivers with the public being encouraged to sign.
The Yasalam responsibly campaign is in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council who will assist in providing official endorsement from football players, the Abu Dhabi Police, who has just earned a Guinness World Record for "hosting the biggest Road Safety Awareness lecture", as well as Emirates Driving Company and the Yas Marina Circuit.
-Ends-
For more information, visit www.yasalam.ae
ABOUT FLASH Entertainment
Based in Abu Dhabi, FLASH Entertainment is the regions premier live events company, with a proven track record in delivering fantastic events and experiences for people of Abu Dhabi, of any age, culture or nationality.
From movie premieres, classical shows, international tennis tournaments and megastar music concerts through to creating local community events, supporting local talent, and providing interactive experiences and edutainment, FLASH is committed to providing unique entertainment experiences.
FLASH has successfully delivered some of the biggest and most memorable live events in Abu Dhabi's history. From ground breaking pop stars to world film premieres, FLASH has already left an unforgettable mark on the city, and in the process entertained over half a million people.
ABOUT YASALAM
Yasalam was created by Abu Dhabi for residents and visitors to enjoy. It is a unique concept rooted in the cultural fabric, tastes and interests of the UAE appealing to all ages and backgrounds. With parades, simulators, parties, concerts, open-air cinema, art displays and much more, Yasalam means a whole heap of fun and entertainment in Abu Dhabi.
Each year Yasalam promises to be bigger, with more surprises and of course the big names performing on Yas Island. Yasalam events bring together a stellar line up of celebrated local, Arab and international artists performing for tens of thousands at Abu Dhabi Corniche for 'Beats on the Beach'. Yasalam Live on Yas Island and Live on the Corniche attracts an audience of over half a million every year, from Abu Dhabi, the UAE, the region and internationally. The festival also integrates Abu Dhabi educational and community initiatives with festivities and entertainment throughout the Capital. Yasalam has the support of the government, the business community, the entertainment industry, after-race stakeholders and the people of Abu Dhabi.
© Press Release 2011
