RIYADH, 18 July 2004 — Hospitality and generosity are two outstanding characteristics of the Saudi people and anybody who has lived in the Kingdom can testify to these traits. Saudis welcome their guests with open arms and treat them like royalty. Lunch is turned into a banquet and dinner becomes a feast. Their generosity knows no bounds and their graciousness is unsurpassed.
However, all these traits vanish into thin air once they get into the driver’s seat of a car. Driving in Saudi Arabia, over the years, has developed into an ongoing struggle among motorists. Getting to work in the mornings has become a battle and returning home in the evening has turned into a war.
The main cause of traffic congestion is the behavior of drivers on the roads, which is completely contradictory to their generous and hospitable nature. It is as if drivers have an inner beast that is only unleashed once they turn the ignition key. Traffic moves at an incredible pace and patience is not a virtue for these drivers. Drivers frequently ziz-zag through traffic and flash other people to get out of their way. Others take the hard shoulder and fly past at suicidal speeds.
Saudi Arabia has a well-developed and maintained road system. Highways and roads are often three or four lanes wide and flat, straight and smooth. Yet, despite the excellent driving conditions, Saudi Arabia has one of the highest accident rates in the world. Last year alone there were over 300,000 accidents reported and approximately 4,800 deaths. Eighty-one percent of people who die in hospital are car accident victims. All these accidents and deaths translate into a financial liability for the country of SR21 billion annually.
What makes these statistics more horrendous is when they are compared with those of other countries. The UK, for example, has a population of over 58 million people and an area of only 148 000 sq. km.; more than double the population and less than one-eighth of the size of Saudi Arabia. The roads in the UK, with the exception of motorways, are generally narrow and usually carry two-way traffic i.e. two lanes of cars going in opposite directions without any type of partition or barrier between them.
However, the number of accidents and casualties is far fewer than that of the Kingdom per 100,000 people. Over the last year the number of fatalities due to car accidents in the UK was only 3,430 people. Roughly speaking, one tenth.
So how do they do it? How is it that the British are able to avoid having as many accidents despite the fact that they are a smaller country and a larger population? The answer lies in the proverb “better late than never.” It is safer and smarter to take your time and slow down than to speed along, risk having an accident and not getting to the desired destination at all. Fifty-six percent of accidents in the Kingdom are a result of speed. If these speed merchants would take heed and slow down, a lot of trouble and many lives may be spared.
Unfortunately, the circumstances, the roads and the cars give people an opportunity to drive the way they do. The price of petrol in the Kingdom is very low and makes it affordable for motorists to buy bigger, faster cars. It is these cars that are adding to the need for speed. Some cars can turn even the most timid and mild of drivers into racing monsters.
A few of the newer car models have more power than is necessary. This extra boost gives faster acceleration and allows the driver to reach higher speeds without needing to push the engine too hard, giving an illusion of safety. The itch to go full throttle is fueled by the design of the roads. The wide roads are an enticement to drivers to push their cars just that little bit faster, and the smoothness of the roads makes drivers unaware of just how fast they are going.
Therefore, it is up to the drivers to be vigilant and cautious while on the roads, and it is up to the drivers to have just a little patience and care. If these rogue drivers were to do this, then more people would be getting where they wanted to go in one piece.
