Press Releases
05 Dec 2025
Granting Safety Seats to 500 Children Born on Eid Al Etihad
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched the 6th round of its distinctive annual initiative, “Safety from the First Journey.” This year’s edition witnessed the participation of 26 hospitals across Dubai, through which 500 child car seats had been distributed to newborns in celebration of the UAE’s 54th Eid Al Etihad, from 1st to 5th December.
The initiative reflects RTA’s commitment to embedding road safety principles from the very first moments of a child’s life. It aims to promote a culture of traffic safety within the community, in collaboration with Dubai Police General Headquarters, Dubai Health Authority, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Ahmed Al Khzaimy, Director of Traffic at RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency said: “It is vital to continue such qualitative initiatives, which contribute to achieving Dubai’s strategic traffic-safety indicators and support RTA’s vision of The World Leader in Seamless and Sustainable Mobility. The ‘Safety from the First Journey’ initiative represents a leading model of sustainable cooperation between the Government of Dubai, the private sector, and international organisations. It also reflects RTA’s commitment to its societal responsibility by promoting traffic awareness across all segments of the community.”
“The initiative aligns with the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which affirm that vehicle restraint systems — including child seats and seat belts — are among the most effective means of saving lives and reducing serious injuries resulting from traffic accidents,” he noted.
Al Khuzaimi added: “The initiative reflects RTA’s commitment to strengthening traffic awareness by offering a child car seat as a symbolic gift to every newborn during the Eid Al Etihad celebrations. This follows prior coordination with the Dubai Health Authority and hospitals with maternity departments to determine the expected number of births in a way that ensures efficient distribution. The use of dedicated child seats reduces the risk of fatal incidents by up to 71% for infants and 54% for children aged between one and four years, according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.”
“The initiative, launched five years ago to encourage parents to use child seats in vehicles, has witnessed continuous growth. The number of seats distributed increased from 200 in the first year to 500 in 2025, accompanied by an expansion in the number of participating hospitals from 17 to 26 across Dubai. This reflects the success of the initiative and the widening impact it has achieved within the community.”
Guidelines to Ensure Children’s Safety
RTA urged parents to follow a set of important guidelines to ensure the highest levels of safety for their children while driving, most notably:
• Ensuring that the child seat is appropriate for the child’s age and weight and used in accordance with the instructions provided with the seat.
• Verifying that the seat is internationally certified and meets recognised safety standards.
• Testing the installation of the seat in the vehicle before purchase to ensure compatibility with the vehicle’s anchoring system or seat belt.
• Strictly following the manufacturer’s instructions during installation and when adjusting the harness.
• Avoiding keeping the child in the seat for more than 30 consecutive minutes.
• Conducting regular checks of the harness, buckles, and fastenings, and ensuring the seat is safe to use after any accident.
• Installing the seat in the rear seats of the vehicle and never holding a child while driving.
• Avoiding the use of the seat for purposes such as feeding the child or allowing them to sleep at home.
• Removing thick clothing to ensure the harness fits securely on the child’s body.
• Replacing the seat immediately after any collision to ensure the integrity of its internal structure.
• Providing specialised seats or harnesses for Children of Determination in accordance with approved medical recommendations.