A new campaign has been launched by Mother, Baby & Child Show 2006 in conjunction with Safe Kids UAE, Johnson’s baby and the Road Traffic Authority (RTA) to raise awareness of road safety to children, especially during the winter months. The launch of the campaign has been timed to coincide with shorter daylight hours during winter, when darkness begins falls in late afternoon.
Under the scheme, thousands of reflective stickers will be distributed to schools across Dubai, and children will be reminded of the increased dangers of cycling or playing near roads during twilight. The stickers which can be placed on bicycles school bags and clothing, ‘light up’ when caught in the headlights of a car and carry a very simple but effective message; ‘BE SEEN BE SAFE’.
Shannon Norris, Exhibition Director of Mother Baby & Child Show 2006, the driving force behind the campaign said, “As a mother myself, I do worry when my son is riding around on his bike. He may only be on a quiet road just outside of our villa, but making him more visible, especially during the dark afternoons in winter, might save him from a serious accident one day.”
The campaign complements the Johnson’s baby ‘Safe Kids worldwide’ programme, a global network of organisations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children under 14 years of age and taking more lives than disease, violence or any other causes.
Bicycles are responsible for more road accidents and childhood injuries than any other consumer product, which is a concern with more than 70 per cent of children between the ages of 5 to 14 riding bicycles. The typical collision between a bicycle and a car occurs within one mile of home so it is hardly surprising that nearly 60 per cent of all childhood bicycle-related deaths occur on minor roads in or close to residential areas.
“Safety awareness is key to education, especially in the primary years. Kings Dubai is pleased to endorse the ‘Be Seen Be Safe’ campaign which has already evoked considerable interest amongst our pupils,” commented Kevin Steadman, Head Teacher, Kings Dubai.
It’s not just children riding bicycles who are at risk pedestrians also need to take extra care in the dark. Child pedestrian injuries are frequently serious or deadly and up to 50 per cent of them require admission to hospital for treatment, whether it’s chasing a ball across a road without looking or walking out between parked cars.
The RTA also has a message for drivers, who they believe must play their part too, “Unfortunately, fatal accidents on Dubai’s roads are all too commonplace. Hopefully when drivers spot these stickers it will not only alert them to the presence of a child on the road and slow down, but it will remind them of just how precious life is and how dear our families are to us,” stated Razan El Tin of the RTA, Dubai.
About Johnson’s Baby Safe Kids Campaign
Safe Kids Worldwide is a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children of ages 14 and under, taking more lives than disease, violence or any other causes.
Most of these injuries are due to motor vehicle crashes, falls, fires, drowning, bicycle accidents, sporting-related incidents and poisoning. The good news is that these injuries are preventable through increased use of safety equipment, environmental modification and behavior changes.
Safe Kids has already made significant progress in reducing the risk of accidental injury to children in the United States , the national accidental injury death rate among children ages 14 and under has declined more than 40 percent since the inception of Safe Kids. Now, Safe Kids Middle East strives to reach out the Middle Eastern households and trigger the parent's awareness of safety measures they could use to help protect their children before it's too late.
About Mother, Baby & Child Show 2006
The Mother Baby & Child Show which is due to take place at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC) from 14-16 December 2006 has ‘grown up fast’ since cutting its teeth at the inaugural event in 2004. From the moment pregnancy is confirmed people’s lives change dramatically. They re-evaluate their buying habits, from the food they eat to the brands and services they choose to buy. The Mother, Baby and Child Show brings brand values to life and key marketing messages are reinforced in a fun and stimulating environment, providing branded products and services with a platform to build new relationships as well as nurturing existing consumers in this dynamic and fast-growing marketplace.
For a show still in its infancy the number of exhibitors for 2006 is impressive with projections set to top160, an impressive 15 per cent increase over last year. Visitors this year will exceed 25,000 positioning the show as the definitive event for any company wishing to reach families throughout the region. The show also enjoys solid industry support, echoed by this year’s sponsors, which include Wyeth, Mothercare, Avent & Virgin Airways.
