Students in UAE pledge not to text and drive

Realising the dangers that can result from texting while driving, a group of students have pledged to avoid the act as part of a nationwide initiative led by UAE ministers.

Under the patronage of Lt-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Aqdar Drive Safely campaign encourages university students to take an online pledge to neither text, use social media nor browse the internet while driving.

Nissan Middle East, in partnership with Khalifa Empowerment Programme for Students and RoadSafetyUAE, earlier held a two-day activation at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), where students also pledged not to make calls without a proper hands-free kit while driving.

Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, President of Zayed University, and Major-General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, Director-General of Dubai Civil Defence, were also among the officials who took and led the pledge.

According to figures, texting by mobile phones while driving has been a major cause of road accidents in the UAE, where lack of attention or distracted driving causes 11 per cent of road fatalities. According to RoadSafetyUAE studies, more than 40 per cent of the UAE accidents are by young drivers. Research also revealed that 74 per cent of UAE drivers use their mobile phones while driving, a phenomenon considered among the top 10 causes of road injuries and fatalities.

Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, said the dangers of using mobile phones while driving lie in its manual, visual, auditory and cognitive distraction.

"When you're using mobile phone while driving, you're engaging all your senses in texting. You're taking your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road, your attention to alarming sounds off to your phone, and your mind off the traffic," said Edelmann.

He added that the prominence of using mobile phones among young people comes back to the youth feeling of invincibility.

"Only over time do people understand their vulnerability to accidents," said Edelmann. He added that modern addictions to mobile phones made it difficult for the youth to realise it's a gadget to be put away during driving. "Phones are a main source of distracted driving, and people underestimate the impact of distraction it causes," he added.

The campaign's focus on university students goes back to these young people's stretched stay in the country where they're expected to take the wheel.

Students are also encouraged to take the pledge online at www.aqdardrivesafely.com and join a competition to launch an idea for an awareness campaign, mobile application, or sculpture that will help reverse the negative trend and reduce fatal accidents that result from texting and driving.

During the activation, students also drove a golf cart through a crash course while texting to be reminded on the amount of mental effort it takes to use a mobile phone.

Rowad Al Awad, 20, is used to text people back and even use Snapchat and Instagram while driving. However, she pledged to stop the act and work to raise awareness.

"It is addictive, but I'll start placing my phone on silent, and changing music from my car itself without holding the mobile." She added that her inspiration came from reading about the numerous accidents caused by texting. "The second you look down, you put your life at risk, and for me, it isn't worth it," said Al Awad.

Yash Sunil Sagar, 19, pledged to raise awareness. He said he never texts while driving due to the accidents that widely happen in the country due to distracted driving.

"It's a big problem that people underestimate. Looking at your phone is like closing your eyes, which put you and other people in danger," said Sagar.

Echoing similar thoughts was Yousef Al Alami, 20. Al Alami added the pledge is the start of quitting bad driving habits.

"Texting or shooting videos on social media while driving could be cool, but is it worth getting injured or getting your car crashed? While many people do it without going through accidents, it doesn't deny that the risk is not there," said Al Alami.

Students encouraged to make a change

The initiative will also focus on rewarding responsible drivers to inspire students to act as positive agents of change for communities. Until mid-May, students are encouraged to design an app, initiate an awareness campaign, or think of a creative way to design a sculpture that represents road safety encouraging people to be safe drivers.

Rewards including cash prize, internship at Nissan, and funding the winning ideas across the Middle East.