Saher cuts down on fatalities

There were 26 percent less fatalities in 2014 on the nation’s roads compared to the previous year, according to the Riyadh Traffic Department.
“Despite the continued criticism of the Saher traffic monitoring system, statistics prove that its implementation has helped reduce deaths on the country’s roads,” said Maj. Gen. Zayed Al-Twaiaan, commander of the road security task force in the capital.
He was speaking at the 35th scientific seminar held at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology on the decline in accidents across the country.
“In 2013, there were 9,000 road accident victims at sites where the Saher system was installed, compared to 6,853 the following year. Most deaths occurred outside cities as a result of speeding.”
Al-Twaiaan said that the negative economic repercussions of traffic accidents include the government spending more than SR13 billion a year on medical treatment for victims.
Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Rasheedi, head of safety at the department, said 58 percent of accidents were caused by drivers using mobile phones. Other causes include eating, drinking, and listening to the radio while driving.