• In collaboration with Emirates Foundation, UPS Road Code program teaches safe driving practices to 576 students
• The UPS Foundation is awarding $100,000 to Emirates Foundation to continue expanding international growth of the UPS Road Code training to the UAE

DUBAI, UAE – In line with the efforts of the UAE government, global logistics provider UPS (NYSE:UPS) has exceeded its goal of educating new drivers on safe driving techniques by 44% one year after its initial launch in the UAE. This initiative is part of the UPS Road Code™ safe driving program, set up in collaboration with Emirates Foundation, an independent national organization set up by the Abu Dhabi Government, to facilitate public-private funded initiatives for the empowerment of youth across the UAE.

“UPS leads the industry in safety practices. We are proud to have exceeded last year’s goal to share our safe driving learning with the 576 young drivers in the UAE who are now better-informed and safer drivers,” said Benoit Biard, human resources director of human resources for UPS in the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, and Africa (ISMEA). “And our collaboration with Emirates Foundation, combined with UPS’s in-kind commitment of USD $100,000, enables us to contribute to safer roads in the UAE.”

The UPS Foundation is committing USD $100,000 to the Emirates Foundation, as part of its efforts to facilitate public-private funded initiatives in order to improve the welfare of youth across the country. The UAE has amended federal traffic laws to further protect the lives of road users and reduce traffic casualties from about 6 per 100,000 people to 3 per 100,000 as per Vision 2021. Aligned with this effort, and as part of the program, UPS and Emirates Foundation volunteers actively educate new drivers on safe driving techniques. Having committed to training 400 students in 2017, UPS has surpassed that target, taking the total number of verified Road Code graduates to 576.

Maytha Al Habsi, CEO of Emirates Foundation praised the passion of youth volunteers who are playing a primary role in the UPS road safety campaign saying: “The UPS Road Code safe driving program is an extremely important initiative. Through our continued partnership with UPS, we remain committed to employ our expertise and youth network to identify those between the ages of 17-25, and, train them on the right skills and knowledge to improve driving habits as well as educate them about their safety on the road and that of others.”

Al Habsi further elaborated: “We are truly delighted to be working for the second year with UPS. This collaboration is aligned with our SANID emergency volunteer response program as well as our child safety campaign that aims to promote the well-being and safety of youth in the UAE. This is done by continuously challenging the notion of unavoidable risks – making room for pro-active preventative approaches to reducing both accidents and injuries amongst young people in our country.”

The trainers use road code simulators to drive safety awareness among teens by enabling each student to have a hands-on-the-wheel virtual experience to identify road hazards. The simulators also help students understand the consequences of distracted driving, and, how phones, for instance, need to be managed.

UPS Road Code is inspired from safety training that UPS’s drivers receive to help them create the most accident-free environment possible. To date, 10,504 UPS drivers are part of the elite Circle of Honor (COH) program, comprised of drivers who have gone 25 years or more without an avoidable accident. Globally, these Circle of Honor drivers have logged 14 billion miles and achieved more than 257,221 years of safe driving throughout their careers. That’s enough miles to circle the earth at the equator 562,000 times, or make 200 round-trips to Mars.

UPS Road Code training is offered at 112 sites in the United States, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and UAE. To date, more than 48,000 teenagers have participated in the safe driving program. The UPS Foundation’s top goal is to leverage its philanthropy, the resources of UPS and expertise of its employees to create public-private partnerships that are dedicated to advance the causes of local communities.

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About The UPS Foundation
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation leads its global citizenship programs and is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national, and global communities. In 2017, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $118 million in charitable giving around the world.
The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at www.UPS.com/Foundation and @UPS_Foundation  on Twitter. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.   

About Emirates Foundation
Emirates Foundation was launched in April 2005 as an initiative of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. It is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Emirates Foundation is an independent national organization set up by the Abu Dhabi Government to facilitate public-private funded initiatives for the empowerment of youth across the UAE, putting them at the forefront of economic, social and human capital development.

The Foundation works with public and private sector partners to meet national goals and respond to society’s most pressing challenges in the areas of youth empowerment & engagement, volunteering and entrepreneurship powered by digital smart platforms and defined through data-driven market needs. 

© Press Release 2018