Driving too fast will get you a frowny face and a warning to slow down…

The RTA has rolled out a number of ‘smart’ signs across Dubai that are aimed at getting motorists to slow down when driving near a school.

The signs are fitted with digital screens that display a passing car’s speed, along with a corresponding emoticon that is either smiling or frowning depending on whether or not the speed limit is adhered to.

The legal limit in a school zone in Dubai is 40 kilometers per hour, and the signs will flash a warning in both English and Arabic for drivers to slow down if they exceed it. A simple ‘Thank You’ message will be displayed if they are under.

Currently in phase one of the roll out, the signs have been placed in five areas including Muhaisnah 1, Al Mazhar, Al Wasl, Al Garhoud and Al Safa, just in time for the start of the new school year. Other areas are expected to be covered in the near future under phase two of the plan.

Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA Traffic and Roads Agency, said in a statement that the new signs are important to increase road safety around school districts: “Areas selected in Phase 1 had previously witnessed over-speeding cases in recent months, and therefore smart speed limit signs displaying 40 kph were installed on streets surrounding schools zones. Exceeding the speed limit, even by a small margin, may cause run-over accidents and injuries among students.”

We hope that in the future similar signs will be placed in other parts of the city and expanded to use all kinds of emoji. We’d love to see ?  next time we pass our favourite drivethru, for example.

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Images: supplied