RIYADH, 4 February — The nationwide traffic and security awareness campaign has gone some way toward reducing the number of road accidents and certain crimes, according to Maj. Gen. Abdullah Al-Shahrani, director of police in the Riyadh region.
"The campaign helped the public learn many things related to safe driving and traffic regulations. We see most drivers are now using seatbelts. This is a major achievement," he pointed out. Shahrani attributed the campaign’s success to sound planning.
The media campaign focused in particular on the danger of using drugs, which have caused several accidents in the Kingdom.
There were special programs for family members, including women and children, to increase their safety awareness.
Although the government has taken several steps to cut down the number of road accidents in the country, irresponsible drivers continue to commit traffic violations.
According to Lt. Col. Abdul Rahman Al-Muqbil, director of traffic in the Riyadh region, the department’s cameras monitor about 800 traffic violations every day.
Cameras have been set up in various parts of the capital city to monitor speeding and running the red lights.
"Riyadh is the first city in the whole Middle East to have this modern traffic monitoring system," Al-Muqbil said.
He said the cameras could be shifted from one place to another by traffic police if required.
"The department will inform the drivers about their violations after recording them," he pointed out.
According to Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi, chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, the number of deaths and injuries as a result of road accidents were the same even though there were fewer accidents. In 2000, a total of 4,419 people died and 28,998 were injured as a result of 280,401 accidents, Ghamdi said.
"There is no evidence to show that there was substantial improvement in the traffic situation after the campaigns. The result is yet to arrive. We will have to wait for some time before we get to know how much impact there was, and we should be realistic in our assumptions," he said.
Brig. Fahd Al-Bishr, director of the traffic department, warned that each 1,000 cases of speeding led to 16 deaths on an average.
He added that the number of accidents in the Kingdom had increased from 40,076 to 280,401 over the past 10 years. Some 28,998 people were injured and 4,419 killed in 1999 alone.
According to statistics released in 1999, there were 368 deaths every month, 92 deaths every week, 13 deaths every day and one death every two hours as a result of road accidents in Saudi Arabia.
Col. Ameen Saeed, head of the central information committee, has emphasized the role of educational institutions in enhancing traffic safety awareness among younger generations.
The Traffic Department conducted a number of awareness programs, including exhibitions and seminars in various parts of the Kingdom during the past three months.
