BP and Dubai Police launch 'Drive Safely Arabia' campaign

Central to the campaign will be the introduction of a unique device for testing the condition of brake fluids, which is the main cause of brake failures.

'Most motorists do not realise that their brake fluid needs to be changed regularly or else their brakes can fail, frequently with disastrous consequences. We want to help reduce this risk for motorists,' said Jeremy Bowen, Chief Representative, BP Middle East.

Brigadier Dr. Jassim Mohemmed Balrumaithah of the Dubai Police commented: 'The UAE has one of the highest per capita ratios of traffic accidents in the world, and we suspect many of these may be caused by brake failures.'

To help motorists find out if their brake fluid needs replacing, BP has sourced a patented testing instrument from the UK and for the next two weeks is offering a free brake fluid testing service at its major lubricants stations in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Simultaneously the Dubai Traffic Police will run a public awareness campaign to warn motorists of the danger of brake fluid which has exceeded its effective working life.

BP is implementing the project simultaneously in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Following this pilot programme, BP will launch the initiative in Oman, Kuwait, and other countries in the Middle East.

Sharief Khalid, general manager of GENAVCO, BP's agents for Dubai and Northern Emirates, who are also actively supporting the campaign said: 'Many motorists do not recognise the threat posed by aging brake fluid. We hope that we can use this tool to increase the awareness in the region and hopefully contribute to preventing accidents related to brake fluid failure.'

Karim Ibrahim, Regional Technical Services Manager of BP Middle East, explained that brake fluids have a limited life span. In the Gulf, because of the high humidity and temperature, this can be as little as two years.

He noted: 'Hydraulic brake fluid absorbs water from the atmosphere until it becomes completely saturated, which reduces the boiling point of the fluid. In this state, if the driver uses his brakes repeatedly, or in an emergency suddenly brakes very hard, the heat generated can literally make the brake fluid boil. The gas that is created stops the brakes from working, which can lead to fatal consequences.'

Brig Balrumaithah added: 'We all know that some motorists in the Emirates tend to drive very fast, which means they sometimes have to brake hard. Regardless of how good a driver they think they are, if their brake fluid is past its safe working date, they are heading for an accident, possibly fatal.'

The patented brake fluid tester being introduced to the UAE by BP is the first that can accurately test the danger posed by brake fluid failure for any vehicle. The test takes less than one minute and is very simple to perform.

Brig Balrumaithah said: 'We have used the tester in our compound to check the brake fluid of cars that have been involved in high speed accidents. We found that a frighteningly high number failed the test and that brake failure was the most likely cause of the accident.'

'Prior to this we had no way to tell if an accident had been caused because of brake failure,' he added. 'Shortly after an accident, the vapour bubble would be reabsorbed by the brake fluid, so the brakes would appear to be working normally.'

BP has also given free brake fluid testers to all its lubricants partners in the UAE, including fleet operators and car retailers for use in their workshops.

Jeremy Bowen added: 'BP is a strong believer in both safety and working for the betterment of the communities where we operate. The tragic loss of life and injuries on UAE roads is the concern of the whole community and we are delighted to have found this way to help play our part in promoting traffic safety.'

Last year there were 7,397 serious traffic accidents in the UAE resulting in 873 deaths and 10,563 injuries. Relative to the number of vehicles on the roads, the UAE has six times more deaths from traffic accidents per year than the USA and Europe.

Worldwide BP sponsors a number of traffic safety initiatives. In the Middle East it recently commissioned Dubai Women's College students to make a film on the use of car seat belts, which was shown at a large number of state schools on 7 April 2004 as part of the World Health Organisation's World Health Day focusing on traffic safety.