Police in the United Arab Emirates are employing their motor vehicles to spread the vital message to the public to stay at home and avoid public spaces in a bid to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.
Police in emirates such as Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are taking part in security patrols with their cars and are using the public address system on those vehicles to tell residents to stay at home and to not go out unless it is absolutely vital for them to do so.
The message is being broadcast from the motor vehicles in both emirates in English as well as Arabic, urging people to do the right thing and avoid any actions that put their own health as well as that of other people in the community at risk.
The message tells people that they are important and are part of a society that wants to live a safe and healthy life, for which they must currently stay at home.
The decision to use patrol cars to spread the message to stay at home to try to curb the spread of the virus in the UAE followed a statement that was issued by the Ministry of Interior and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority.
The statement that was issued asked all residents and citizens of and visitors to the UAE to avoid places with crowds and limit their social contact in order to better ensure their wellbeing and safety.
The general public have also been asked to make use of their own family cars for any necessary travel, with no more than three people per car, and to avoid public places while containing to observe the protocols of social distancing even at family gatherings.
The authorities in the UAE have also been advising the public to avoid making visits to hospitals unless it is an absolute emergency, and if they do go, to ensure that they wear face masks if they have flu-like symptoms or suffer from chronic illnesses.
The use of motor vehicles to spread awareness of the need to self-isolate during the pandemic is another reminder of how important the motor vehicle is to society at large.
Anyone who drives a motor vehicle within the UAE is legally obligated to make sure that they are protected by at least the most basic form of third-party car insurance.
However, drivers in the UAE do also have the option of choosing to purchase a more comprehensive form of car insurance coverage package.
Such policies also ensure that drivers are covered for damage that they may have inadvertently caused to vehicles and property that belong to other people.
More comprehensive car insurance policies cover owners for the repair or replacement of a vehicle that is damaged as a result of an accident or that was not actually being driven when the damage took place or in the event that the car is stolen.