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: