Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority delivers world's biggest safety message

"Your life is not as important as a phone call" is the message from RTA

The world's biggest safety message has been delivered on the dangers of using phones while driving. Courtesy RTA

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has set a Guinness World Record for the biggest awareness message - using Lego blocks.

More than 20,000 Lego blocks were used to write the awareness message “Your Life is worth more than a phone call” in both Arabic and English.

There were also 140,000 Lego blocks used to make the plaque at the site of the event in Dubai Festival City.

The gigantic is making the message 'loud and clear' about the dangers of using your phone while driving, said the RTA.

“The underlying objective of this achievement is to send a loud and clear awareness message to motorists cautioning them against the risks of using of using phones while driving,” said Maitha bin Adai, chief executive officer of the RTA.

“Traffic studies indicate that the probability of traffic accidents where motorists are using mobile phones while driving is four times higher than those not using it.”

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From 2008 to 2015, Ms Bin Adai said the RTA managed to reduce the fatality rate of traffic accidents by more than 80 per cent.

Overall, the traffic fatality rate dipped from 21.7 cases per 100,000 of the population in 2007 to 2.5 cases per 100,000 of the population in 2017.

“The Agency has co-ordinated with the Guinness Office in Dubai to begin the procedure of registering a new world record that serves the traffic awareness programmes and reduces traffic-related fatalities and injuries,” she said.

“Indicators reveal that using the phone while driving may be a direct contributor to the majority of traffic accidents. The use of mobile phones during driving is equivalent to driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.”

She added that the response of motorists using mobile phones is delayed by 50 per cent compared to the response times of drivers not using phones while driving.

“The key awareness activities held in Dubai Festival City involved the participation of the public and students invited to insert the Lego blocks in place to complete the awareness message,” she said.

“Gifts were distributed along with an educative leaflet narrating in a concise and scientific way the risks of using the phone while driving.”