Ford Middle East and Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies Co, the Ford and Lincoln importer in Saudi Arabia, have partnered with the King Abdulaziz University, to bring Ford’s global Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme to the kingdom.

The free educational programme has been designed to impart safe driving practices to students early in their driving stages to help improve their road safety record, said a statement.

According to the World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on Road Safety 2013, Saudi Arabia has the highest road accident toll in the world, which now makes up the country’s principal cause of death in adult males aged 16 to 36.

Ford’s DSFL programme was established in 2003 by Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governors Highway Safety Association and a panel of safety experts with the mission of teaching newly licensed teens the necessary skills for safer driving, and the importance of making good decisions while driving.

In its first 10 years, it has directly trained more than 30,000 teens in nearly 900 school districts in 39 states, plus 15 international markets across Europe, Asia and North America. In 2013, the programme made its Middle Eastern debut in the UAE, followed by Saudi Arabia this year.

The Ford Driving Skills for Life programme is visiting the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah until December 11), where professional instructors are sharing and demonstrating special skills and giving tips on safe driving practices using specially equipped Ford vehicles.

The instructors are teaching students the necessary skills for driving safely, brief them on the main hazards that they may face, and tell them how to handle some of the challenging situations on the road.

Kalyana Sivagnanam, marketing, sales and service director for Ford Middle East and North Africa, said: “Ford is proud of its rich heritage in safety leadership. As one of the company’s main pillars, safety is just as reflected across the designs of Ford vehicles and their unique technologies, and our corporate social responsibility activities such as Ford Driving Skills for Life, which is designed to make a profound impact among youth and help make them safer drivers.

“Inexperience and recklessness are some of the leading causes of crashes with young drivers, and this programme delivers the key skill sets that will help increase their knowledge and confidence.”

“We are very pleased with our tie-up with the King Abdulaziz University on this important initiative, and are looking forward to contribute, together with our local partners, the Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies Co., towards one of key issues touching the Saudi communities by bringing safe driving awareness to the Saudi youth in a hands-on way,” he said.

Dr Abdulmonem Al Hayani, dean of Student Affairs at the university, said: “Bringing social values to our students, including safe responsible driving skills, is a key pillar of our curriculum, and hosting Driving Skills for Life fits perfectly with our goals towards shaping a cognitive and behavioural student.”

More than 8,000 people die on the roads in the GCC and another 60,000 are injured, many of them critically, according to the WHO report. It has estimated that by 2020, road traffic injuries will be the third leading cause of disability adjusted years of life lost in the Middle East.

Ford Driving Skills for Life engages young drivers and addresses four key areas that are critical factors in vehicle accidents. These include distractions / hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space management and speed management. - TradeArabia News Service