Speed is blamed for almost 90 percent of all fatal traffic accidents on the Kingdom’s roads. Whenever we have to attend the funeral of a young person killed in a traffic accident, we invariably hear stories of how driving too fast caused the accident that claimed his life. Even inside our cities, speeding cars regularly cause fatal accidents.
A motorist driving at 100 or 120 kilometers per hour is no longer surprised to see a speeding car thundering past him; if he could see the speedometer of the car, it might read 160 kph. The driver of the car traveling at 160 will naturally find others, driving at 200 or even 240 kph, eager to pass him. Accidents continue to take innocent lives despite awareness campaigns and education programs held throughout the year. Since there has been no real improvement in the safety records on our roads, the authorities must intervene to stop the carnage and save lives.
Instructions should be issued to importers. They should be told to arrange with car manufacturers to send to the Kingdom only those cars with a fixed maximum speed. And all cars entering the Kingdom should be capable of a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The system could be gradually implemented to ensure that within 10 years, all these flying cars are replaced with ones that don’t fly.
I don’t know whether this suggestion is practical or not or whether certain other considerations have blocked it. This is not the first time the idea has been suggested. Sadly, it is well past the time for something to be done to put an end to the endless funeral processions.
16 July 2002
