The Ramadan Council, organized by the Law Respect Culture Bureau, at the Secretariat General of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, in Ras Al Khaimah, stressed the need to spread the culture of traffic among the various segments of society, and to intensify traffic related programs in the early stages of education, as well as activating the role played by parents in this regard.
Participants at the council touched on the traffic issue between law and ethics through three topics: the legal aspect related to the framework of traffic offences and the concept of sanctions within traffic laws as well as the role of such laws as a legal deterrent to reduce traffic accidents. The religious aspect addressed the roads and traffic ethics in Islam in addition to traffic sanctions within the Sharia, such as involuntary manslaughter, harm and infringement of property. The social aspect addressed the traffic issues via spreading the culture of traffic among individuals and means to change the youths’ concept regarding reckless driving from positive to negative.
The council was attended by members of the Federal National Council; notable judges and legal counsels; Brigadier Mohammed Al-Noubi Mohammed, Deputy Director of Ras Al Khaimah Police and a number of scholars.
Brigadier Mohammed Al-Noubi stated: “through its traffic strategy, the Ministry of Interior is keen to achieve its vision of making the UAE roads the safest in the world. It is striving to achieve this goal through a number of initiatives, organized by traffic entities around the year, both on the federal and local levels.”
He stressed the family responsibility in spreading the culture of traffic among their children, noting that parents should work hard to prevent their children and teenagers from driving vehicles under any circumstances, as they are not able to estimate risks.
“Some parents allow their children, who do not have a driving license yet, to drive for short distances, to run small errands such as going to the grocery store or any close location; and that is a dangerous thing,” he added.
“Among the initiatives carried out by the Ras Al Khaimah Police General Headquarters with respect to traffic issues, is the Cup of Traffic Culture competition. This event aims to spread the culture of traffic and traffic laws and regulations among students of the secondary school, in order to educate them and raise their traffic awareness. This kind of activity helps create an educated generation of students, well aware of their duties toward their community, particularly with respect to the issues of traffic accidents and traffic laws and ethics,” he continued.
Colonel Abdullah Ali Munakhas, Director of Traffic Department in Ras Al Khaimah, said:” the department has implemented several initiatives to spread traffic awareness among public. Such initiatives included setting up meetings with both parents and young people to address various traffic issues such as driving without a license and riding unlicensed motorbikes.”
Lt. Colonel Dr. Salah Obeid Al Ghoul, Director of Law Respect Culture Bureau, said that motorists must exercise good driving ethics on the road, which are as important as traffic laws and regulations.
“The traffic and traffic accidents issue is not a local problem, specific to the UAE; it is rather an international problem faced by all countries around the world; however, it comes in different proportions and forms in accordance with the level of growth and development of each country,” he added.
Lt. Colonel Dr. Salah Al Ghoul pointed out that the human element as the main reason behind traffic accidents, in addition to other reasons related to vehicles and roads, adding that non adherence of individuals to traffic laws is the main cause