Ford’s Driving Skills for Life Global Program Builds Road Safety Awareness in the Middle East

Nothing is more valuable to us than our own lives. Millions of casualties are recorded every year because of haphazard driving etiquette of some people who do not confide by the rules of road or are unbeknownst of those. In many accidents, new drivers are generally involved as they lack the acumen to gauge the road ahead and skills to drive like an ace motorist. Sighting all of these reasons and more, Ford has launched a road safety awareness program in the Middle East which emphasizes a hands-on learning experience for new drivers to avoid road collisions and making them adept at driving so they do not cause inconvenience to other commuters on the road. 

A program sponsored by Ford Fund called Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) has been conducted in Dubai and Jeddah. It’s been a conscious initiative of Ford since 2010 which also encompasses providing complimentary training for fledgling drivers, framed to embolden the yardsticks of safety while loaning them with larger-than-life skills.

In the Middle-East, the American group conducted DSFL sessions with 259 students of Effat University in Jeddah and Saudi Arabia and 296 pupils of The Higher Colleges of Technology Women’s Campus in Dubai. Every student was trained in four key parameters of Fitting, Distraction, Driving Course and Impairment. 

In the UAE, 3 people in 81 have died in the previous year and in the roster of road traffic accidents, it is ranked on the 118th appellation. Contrasting this with Saudi Arabia’s 34th position, the hurdles endured by motorists on KSA’s roads have surfaced. 

The training is imparted by connoisseurs in the field to rookie drivers on five fundamental driving skills such as hazard recognition, vehicle handling, speed management, space management and the most important of all, distracted and impaired driving. 

In Dubai, fawning attention is paid to motor vehicle driving license seekers on minuscule but important aspects such as the positioning of the wing and central mirror, way to hold the steering wheel and apt driving position according to the dimensions of the learner. Similarly, the first module of this training course elaborates on the perfect positioning of the seat, gripping the steering wheel, angle of the mirrors and above all, intimation of wearing a seatbelt as it is crucial during severe impact accidents to let the airbags inflate and save the passengers from banging against the dashboard and front seats.

The second module brought to light dangers of driving while distracted by smartphone, changing the radio station and using the vanity mirror while the car is moving ahead. 

The third module iterated the basics of a driving lesson, and bettering the student’s dexterity by making them experience vehicle acceleration and braking. During the process, due mentorship on hand placement on steering wheel through zigzag turns, concepts of under-steer and over-steer and a lesson on apex turns were given. In addition to this, advice on using the signal with precision while making lane changes was also provided. 

The ultimate module made effective use of Ford’s special impairment goggles which were clad by the students to witness the atrocious effects of cruising under the influence of alcohol, drowsiness-inducing medications and feeling discharged after a long day. All in all, it would’ve been a worthwhile event for the university students.

Perdro Simoes, Marketing Director, Ford Middle East, said, “Now in its 19th year globally, Ford Driving Skills for Life has provided free training to more than 1.5 million newly licensed drivers in over 40 countries – including more than 4,000 students across the Middle East since 2013.

“In total, Ford has invested more than $50 million in initiatives globally as part of its long-standing commitment to promoting safety on the road. “Here in the region and around the world, safety remains a key priority for Ford,” he adds. “DSFL is a campaign that aims to help reduce the number of road accidents while improving drivers’ knowledge of best practices on the road, as well as their confidence.”    

“While there have been improvements in road safety across this region, there remains a long way to go,” says Simoes. “We will continue doing our part to spread the lessons of DSFL across the Middle East.”