Al-Futtaim Honda and RoadSafetyUAE organize ‘first-ever' UAE Motorcycle Delivery Fleet Safety Event

Last Update: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 : 09:37 (+4GMT)

Event helps raise awareness among fleet owners and other key stakeholders on the risks and dangers faced by riders

Dubai, November 22, 2017: Supporting the efforts by the UAE and Dubai government to reduce the number of road accidents and deaths, Al-Futtaim Honda, exclusive distributor of Honda cars, bikes, marine engines and power products in the UAE jointly with RoadSafetyUAE, organized the ‘first ever’ UAE Motorcycle Delivery Fleet Safety Event.

The event aimed to raise awareness among fleet owners and other key stakeholders on the risks and dangers faced by motorcycle riders who are the most vulnerable on the road.

According to the data revealed by Dubai Police, there were a total of 276 motorbike related incidents in 2016 including 16 fatalities. Motorcyclists were involved in 824 traffic offences in 2016, and 786 bikes were seized. The vast majority of these accidents are attributed to professional delivery riders. The majority of motorcycle collisions with other vehicles were reported to be caused by lack of attention or awareness on the part of the driver of the other vehicle.

Fardeen Sara, General Manager – Sales at Al-Futtaim Honda said, “There are thousands of orders being delivered each day by motorcycle deliverymen across the country. These riders have very little protection around them – simply because there is less steel to protect them. Also, motorcycle riders might be impacted by sudden changes in weather and gusts of wind more than other drivers.

“It is our hope that through events such as these we are able to raise awareness and create a platform for all stakeholders to share best practices and together create a safer driving experience,” he added.

Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE who co-organized the event said, “Motorcycle riders are one of the most vulnerable road users, as they have almost no protection around them. We must raise the awareness for this fact with the riders themselves for them to display defensive driving techniques, but also with all other motorists to show a caring attitude towards them.

“We believe this 'First-Ever' event brings together all the involved stakeholders and it is a great first step in terms of sharing best practice of how to run safe motorbike delivery fleets. We are looking very much forward to organizing such events in the future," he added.

Arif Abdulkarim Almalik, Director of Drivers Training and Qualification at RTA's Licensing Agency said, “We at RTA are regularly analyzing and improving the training curriculum and updating the processes for obtaining a motorcycle driving license.

“From a regulatory standpoint, we aim to safeguard the safety of motorcycle delivery riders and also all road users by providing them with the necessary skills, knowledge and the right attitude for a ‘Safe and smooth transport for all’,” he added.

Speakers at the Motorcycle Delivery Fleet Safety Event included Al-Futtaim Honda, RoadSafetyUAE, Dubai Police, RTA, Deliveroo, UPS, Dubai Driving Centre, MiX Telematics and OSRAM.

Below is a list of bike safety tips put together by Al-Futtaim Honda:

AL-FUTTAIM HONDA’S TOP SAFETY TIPS WHILE RIDING A BIKE (source: RoadSafetyUAE)

HOW TO DO IT RIGHT!

As a motorcycle driver:

Display a defensive driving style!
Make sure you always wear your helmet
Wear proper clothing, including proper fully closed shoes
Wear proper protecting gloves
Make sure your bike is properly licensed and registered
Make sure your motorcycle is maintained perfectly
Lights and indicators must work 100% since motorcycles are less visible than cars
Make sure your passenger is properly dressed and knows how to behave on a bike

As a car driver:

Anticipate the greater vulnerability of motorcycle driver’s due to the conditions of weather, road, wind, light
Be extra careful close to a motorbike in curves, on interchanges and acceleration lanes
Respect the often-weak performance and limited acceleration, especially of green lights

WATCH OUT FOR THIS…

As a motorcycle driver:

Don’t sneak between cars
Don’t drive on walkways
At red lights don’t move all the way to the front
Don’t take shortcuts
Leave enough space to other vehicles on the road

As a car driver:

Don’t be too close to motorcycles when you accelerate (off green lights)
Don’t be too close in curves and in difficult road, weather, wind and light conditions
Especially for quad bikes (in the desert):
Make sure you drive a registered and well-maintained vehicle
Make sure you hold the required driver’s license

Posted by: GoDubai PR Dept
Viewed: 4291 times
PR Category: Automobile & Motoring
Posted on: 22 Nov 2017 9:37:00 AM (GMT+4)

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