UAE. With seemingly every day bringing reports of accidents caused by dangerous driving on the roads of the Emirates, road safety is of ever-growing concern in the UAE.

To address this issue the Emirates Driving Institute (EDI), which aims to achieve excellence in the field of driver training and road safety will make heightened awareness of safe driving the focus of its participation at the forthcoming Gulf Traffic 2009 Exhibition.

“We firmly believe that a reduction in road traffic accidents can only be achieved by improving the current skills level and knowledge of the driving population. Our focus is on the use of seatbelts, as they are the single most effective piece of safety equipment in a vehicle - all too often though, they are neglected resulting in needless loss of life or injury,” said Peter Richardson, General Manager Technical and Operations, Emirates Driving Institute. 

“We are delighted to be able to contribute to this cause and to use the Gulf Traffic Exhibition as a way to spread our message about road safety to the driving community. The use of seat-belts by front-seat passengers and drivers in motor vehicles increases road safety and reduces the probability of being killed in crashes in which they could otherwise die by up to 50%.”

EDI will offer Gulf Traffic visitors the unique opportunity to experience, first-hand and in a controlled environment, a 360° car roll-over in a special simulator that demonstrates the danger of not buckling up while driving. Another simulator that EDI will feature at the exhibition - the Seatbelt Convincer - allows drivers to experience the jolt effect of a sudden stop at a low speed, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of seatbelts. Senior lecturers and the EDI Safety Team will also demonstrate a variety of techniques that can be used to avoid a collision.

“EDI, which has been in operation since 1991, is the largest and most successful driving Institute in the Middle East,” said Sarah Woodbridge, Group Director - Exhibitions, IIR Middle East - organisers of the event, a comprehensive showcase of road, rail and metro related technology, products and services.

“During that time over 170,000 driving students have passed their Police Tests with EDI and many have gone on to take and pass their Advanced Driving Courses - avoidable traffic accidents have a significant cost impact, both in terms of lives and traffic disruption, so we’re delighted to see EDI using the show to highlight safe driving.”

EDI employs over 1,000 qualified instructors who come from the same countries as its students and are able, therefore, to instruct students in their primary language - one section of the institute is dedicated to female students, with female instructors and assessors.
EDI’s driving tuition standards are set at international levels and its driving tuition methods are continuously updated to make use of the latest driving techniques.

The organisation’s international partners, The Institute of The Motor Industry of The UK, The International Association for Driver Education and Institute of Advanced Motorists - UK (IAM), play a major role in ensuring it keeps in touch with leading edge driving and testing tuition developments.

ISO accredited since 1997 and 2002 winners of the Dubai Quality Award for Professional Services, EDI’s facilities include a reception/registration area, two cafeterias, two lecture theatres, simulator facilities, a 510,500 sq. ft. area where students practice parking, hill starts and other elements of vehicle control before venturing on to the public roads, over 1,000 vehicles of all types and modern workshop facilities.

The Gulf Traffic 2009 exhibition takes place at Dubai International Exhibition Centre from Sunday 6 to Tuesday 8 December.

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