Dubai: The Porsche RoadStar campaign awarded another 11 safe drivers on its last day in Dubai on Tuesday.
Mohammad Al Zafein, Muna Hassan Al Hammadi, Eman Zuhair Al Nabulsi, from the UAE, Shehrayar Ilyas, from Ireland, Abdul Jaleel and Mohammad Ilyas, Amrik Singh, and Yousuf Bohra, from India, Ahmad Ameen Allah and Jamshed Bakhsh, from Pakistan, and Karim Adel, from Egypt, were awarded Dh1,000 and a certificate from Dubai Police.
Drivers who adhere to the basic principles of good driving such as wearing seat belts, using child safety seats, indicators and hands-free mobiles, observe lane discipline and display courtesy, in addition to staying within the prescribed speed limits are considered for the award.
The campaign’s 33rd edition is sponsored by Porsche Centre Dubai and Al Nabooda Automobiles, with RSA Insurance and EMA Lubricants as co-sponsors.
K. Rajaram, CEO of Al Nabooda Automobiles, said, “I believe the Porsche RoadStar approach is a unique way to encourage greater care on the roads and I know it has an immediate positive impact on the drivers, their friends and families. We must all take responsibility for creating a safer environment when driving and I look forward to seeing the results from this year’s efforts.”
Muna, 33, who works at the Ministry of Education, said the award was a pleasant surprise and a great initiative.
“I was leaving the ministry and driving to Umm Al Rumool to pick up my daughter from school when I was stopped near the Roads and Transport Authority building. I started wondering what could I have possibly done and was surprised when they told me I had won,” she said.
Muna said they told her that they had followed her as she left her workplace to make sure she was deserving of the award.
“I generally follow traffic rules, and I am extra careful when someone is with me in the car because I feel lthey are my responsibility. My children are the most important thing and I would not risk their safety by driving recklessly.”
Muna, who has been driving since 1998, said she told her friends what happened on WhatsApp and they all got excited and hoped to be recognised by the campaign one day.
Eman, 34, who is also from the UAE and works as a sales manager at Enoc, said she was driving from Al Quoz to Umm Al Rumool to visit one of her customers and was stopped by RoadStar as she was parking.
“I was scared, I did not know what I had done because I follow the rules. When I got out the policeman said ‘let’s give her a fine’ and they gave me the Dh1,000 and told me that they had followed me for almost an hour and told me that I am a good driver and so I was relieved,” she said.
Eman said she is a safe driver as she does not want to be the reason for someone to get hurt or die in an accident. “This award encouraged me to stick to the rules that I already follow and it’s a great initiative because road safety is truly a big issue that needs to reach the public.”
