Most UAE parents unaware of legal requirements for child seatbelt use: survey

  DUBAI - More than half of the number of parents in the UAE, or 55 percent, don't know the legal requirements for child seat belt use in the UAE, according to new survey. While 91 percent of parents said they require children to wear a seatbelt in the car, research conducted by Infiniti Middle East showed conflicting opinions on the age when the safety practice should be introduced. One quarter (26 percent) of those surveyed said that seatbelts should be worn from the age of three, while one fifth (20 percent) said the age for strapping in was six and above. According to UAE law, vehicle driver and all passengers have to wear a seat belt at all times regardless of age, and children up to four years must be provided with a child safety seat. The survey is part of Infiniti's major new road safety awareness called 'Eyes on You'. The campaign sheds light on parent's on-road behaviours and the impact these have on children. "Correct seatbelt use is an ongoing topic of conversation in the UAE, and this new survey shows that there is still a lot of confusion amongst parents, when it comes to safety rules," said Markus Leithe, Managing Director of Infiniti Middle East. "This new survey, and the 'Eyes on You' campaign, aims to draw attention to these crucial safety considerations, reminding parents of their responsibility and how on-road behaviour affects – and is eventually mimicked by - children," Leithe said. A comprehensive seat belt law came into place in the UAE in 2017, making seat belts for rear seat passengers and child safety seats mandatory. While the legal requirements for seatbelt use remain unclear amongst parents, the survey demonstrated strong recognition around the effects this has on children's perceptions of road safety. When asked which negative on-road behaviours they believed children were most likely to mimic as adults, nearly half (48 percent) of parents agreed it was not wearing seatbelts. "Correct use of seatbelts remains a key priority for RTA, as we work to improve the safety of parents and children on the UAE's roads," said Deema Hussein, Traffic Awareness Senior Manager, Traffic Department of Roads and Transport Authority. ICA/Expat 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