The National Ambulance has urged parents and motorists to take extra care around school zones and school buses, as thousands of UAE students returned to school this week.

The National Ambulance will raise levels of preparedness during the first few weeks of school around hot spot areas and dynamic standbys during peak hours in readiness to ensure public safety across the Northern Emirates.

"Safe driving should be a priority at all times, but with school back in session it takes on an extra significance," said Ahmed Saleh Al Hajeri, deputy CEO of the National Ambulance.

"Therefore, we encourage motorists to pay extra attention for children around schools or buses and obey school zone speed limits. As part of our pre-emptive emergency preparations, we have been coordinating our efforts with our strategic partners, specifically Traffic and Patrol Departments, to ensure the highest levels of safety at this time."

Al Hajeri said that the start of the school year also generates an increase in overall traffic in many areas, an additional reason to make safe driving a priority.

"So plan ahead and leave early and have patience for school buses and stop for them when required."

The emergency pre-hospital provider has urged parents to plan ahead and leave home with plenty of time to avoid expected traffic delays.

Al Hajeri said besides using the emergency number 998, those living in the Northern Emirates can directly contact National Ambulance Communications Centre through the National Ambulance 998 App.

At the touch of a button, people can request an emergency ambulance. The request goes immediately to National Ambulance's Communications Centre, where trained staff are able to respond and dispatch an ambulance directly to the scene through GPS tracking.

National Ambulance commenced operations in the Northern Emirates in 2014 to provide a dedicated pre-hospital emergency response.

Its primary task is to handle public medical emergency response and provide high levels of pre-hospital care to citizens and residents across the emirates of Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Source: Khaleej Times