Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) marked the 53rd Eid Al Etihad with a heartfelt initiative, providing 450 free child car seats to mothers with babies born between 1st and 5th December 2024.
The initiative, which ran across 24 participating hospitals, is a part of RTA’s continued commitment to ensuring the safety of newborns in the Emirate. The free car seats were distributed as a gift to support parents during the joyous Eid celebrations.
‘My Baby’s Gift on Eid Al Etihad’
The initiative, titled "My Baby’s Gift on Eid Al Etihad", was made possible through RTA’s collaboration with UNICEF, the Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Police, and both public and private sector partners. Hussain Al Banna, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, praised the efforts of the strategic partners and sponsors such as CellSave Arabia and Elvie, companies specialising in stem cell and maternal care, for their crucial role in making the programme a success.
Al Banna explained, “The initiative aims to offer every newborn in Dubai hospitals during Eid Al Etihad celebrations a free child car seat. Hospitals are supplied with car seats based on the expected number of births during this period.” This year marks the fifth consecutive year of this thoughtful initiative, which has seen more than 2,000 car seats distributed in total.
Promoting Traffic Safety in Dubai
The initiative also ties into Dubai’s broader Traffic Safety Strategy, which is based on four main pillars: engineering (roads and vehicles), awareness, enforcement, and systems & management. Al Banna emphasised that the initiative aligns with these pillars by raising awareness about the critical importance of child car seat safety. Global studies show that properly using child car seats can reduce child injuries and fatalities by up to 54 percent, with the figure climbing to 71 percent for newborns.
The RTA CEO urged parents to use car seats properly for their children, noting that traffic-related injuries among children aged 4 to 8 years can be reduced by 45 percent through appropriate car seat usage. “We aim to ensure the safety of all road users, especially the most vulnerable members of the community, including newborns and children,” he said.
Safety for all
The RTA's ongoing efforts include regular updates to plans aimed at improving safety for all road users. Al Banna also reminded parents about the importance of following traffic rules. Notably, children under 10 years old or shorter than 145 cm are prohibited from sitting in the front seat of a vehicle, with violations carrying a fine of Dh400. Parents are also reminded that transporting children aged 4 and under without proper car seats will incur a Dh400 fine.
With its continued focus on safety, the RTA’s "My Baby’s Gift on Eid Al Etihad" initiative ensures that Dubai’s future drivers are safeguarded from day one.