Ford Motor Company say its first-ever Driving Skills for Life programme will assist Saudi Arabian women to “gain the power of mobility”.
Since its Middle East launch in 2013, more than 3,600 students have participated in Ford’s Driving Skills for Life programme, with sessions in three different cities across Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates last year alone. The car maker, which will host the programme at Effat University in Jeddah in March, says this will be the dirst dedicated DSFL introductory programme for women drivers anywhere in the world, with certified trainers providing the training on closed roads on the campus.
The event was announced on social media by Shams Hakim a business student at Effat in video inviting other students to participate.
Describing the DSFL For Her course as groundbreaking course, Ford said it follows the landmark decision last year by the Kingdom, as decreed by His Highness, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to lift the ban on females driving in Saudi Arabia.
“Ford Motor Company was built on the belief that freedom of movement drives human progress, so we are honoured to have the opportunity to support women in the Kingdom during such an extraordinary time, and to welcome them to the driver’s seat,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Our DSFL For Her programme provides access to training and experiences that will help women feel safe and confident as they get behind the wheel.”
Based on its award-winning global safe driving initiatives, DSFL has customised an introductory programme which focuses on building women’s confidence behind the wheel, expanding their automotive knowledge, preparing them to take their driving lessons and instilling safe driving practices before they tackle public roads.
The four-day DSFL For Her, held between 5-8 March, will train more than 250 Effat University students, incorporating four specific modules of in-vehicle experience – Learning About Your Vehicle, Distraction, Impairment, and Braking – preceded by a briefing with the lead instructor.
Dr Haifa Jamalallail president of Effat University, said that the institution will assist driving women forward to take their rightful places in society and the workforce.
“We are proud to be able to partner with Ford to ensure that our students are also prepared to become responsible, safe drivers,” said Dr Jamalallail. “We believe in driving change, but driving safely, and this is exactly what the Safe Driving Skills for Life programme is all about.”
Driving Skills for Life is an international initiative for road safety created by Ford Fund in cooperation with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and a panel of safety experts. Ford’s programme captures newly-licenced drivers’ interest with free, hands-on ride-and-drive courses that pair new drivers with professional driving instructors and focus on the issues and obstacles that cause crashes, including impaired and distracted driving.
Now in its 15th year, Ford Driving Skills for Life has provided free training to more than one million newly-licenced drivers in more than 40 countries worldwide. In total, Ford has invested more than $40 million in DSFL initiatives worldwide as part of its long-standing commitment to promoting safety on the road.
The new DSFL For Her installment will be an on-going programme for women drivers in the Kingdom, with phase two coming later this year, added Ford.
