What is ‘Drive Like Your Mum is in the Car’ campaign in Dubai
Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in collaboration with Dubai Police, has launched a new road safety campaign aimed at addressing everyday driving behaviours that contribute to congestion and road safety risks across Dubai.
Rather than focusing solely on major traffic violations, the campaign targets common but often overlooked habits such as tailgating, sudden braking, distracted driving and unnecessary lane changes, behaviours that may seem minor individually but collectively impact road safety and traffic flow.
Instead of relying on enforcement-led messaging, the initiative takes a more behavioural approach, encouraging drivers to act more responsibly by appealing to a familiar influence: their mothers.
Mother’s presence
Built around the idea that most people naturally behave more cautiously when their mother is present, the campaign uses humour and emotional recognition to highlight real-life driving scenarios in a relatable way.
At the centre of the campaign is “Khaseibah,” an Emirati personality known for her warm, motherly tone. The campaign’s hero follows a young Emirati driver navigating everyday road situations, where moments of risky decision-making are interrupted by subtle reminders and the imagined voice of his mother urging him to drive more carefully. The scenarios are intentionally simple and recognisable, reflecting the kinds of behaviours that frequently occur on Dubai’s roads.
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Everyday driving habits
Commenting on the initiative, RTA said: “Road safety is often associated with major violations, but what we see on the ground is that everyday driving habits play an equally important role in how safely and efficiently the city moves. This campaign focuses on building awareness around those behaviours and encouraging more responsible driving over time.”
The authority added: “The intention is to move beyond enforcement and create a sense of personal responsibility among drivers. When individuals recognise how their actions impact others on the road, it leads to more conscious and considerate driving.”
Motherly voice
The campaign was rolled out in phases, beginning with a four-day social media teaser featuring Khaseibah holding signboards with short, witty road safety messages. This was followed by a full launch across multiple platforms, including a hero film on YouTube and RTA channels, radio spots featuring a “motherly voice” experienced directly in cars, and high-visibility outdoor advertising across Dubai.
According to Sebastien Boutabel, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East, the campaign was designed to break through routine messaging fatigue.
“We did not want to create another road safety message that people hear and forget. The idea was to tap into something people already respond to instinctively. A mother’s voice doesn’t feel like enforcement, it feels personal, familiar, and immediate. That’s what makes it powerful enough to influence behaviour in real moments,” he said.
The campaign also features prominent outdoor placements, including a Sheikh Zayed Road hoarding displaying Khaseibah’s eyes overlooking traffic, alongside digital billboards, bridge banners and mupis highlighting specific unsafe driving behaviours.
Running across digital, cinema, radio and outdoor platforms, the campaign aims to increase awareness of how individual driving behaviour affects the wider road ecosystem, while encouraging safer and more considerate habits over time. Its impact will be measured through reach, engagement, and long-term reductions in traffic violations and road incidents.
