The rising number of traumatic injuries and deaths in automobile accidents is a concern across the Gulf region. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts an average global increase in road deaths of 60 percent by 2020. This increase is projected at an astounding 80 percent for young GCC males. Such a prospect has grave implications for Gulf economies, health budgets, commerce and tourism. The mounting social costs will be incalculable.

It is obvious that while government authorities have a central role to play in improving traffic safety, other entities in society must shoulder some of the responsibility for reducing the havoc on our roads. One example of how the private sector can contribute to a reduction in traffic accident casualties has been demonstrated by the nonprofit company Al-Mustadaama (Sustainability) LLC. In Oman, Al-Mustadaama has launched a creative web and film campaign in Arabic and English called, “Salim and Salimah, Safe and Sound.” The campaign was prompted by the fact that 20 percent of all child deaths in Oman are caused by car accidents.

“The campaign aims to save the lives of children in road crashes by driving home the message that we are all responsible for each other’s safety,” said Bernadette Bhacker, director, Al-Mustadaama. “In particular we owe it to our children to keep them safe when they ride with us in our vehicles. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: ‘Each of you is a shepherd and each responsible for his flock.’ As 98 percent of accidents are preventable, caused by negligence, this means that children are dying needlessly, often in cars driven by a parent or close family member.”

The safety campaign seeks to raise awareness and change behavior by showing graphically, and in an appropriate cultural idiom, the consequences of collision impact. Al-Mustadaama has produced an educational film on DVD in Arabic and English titled “Doesn’t your child deserve a safe ride?” Copies of the film are being distributed free jointly by Al-Mustadaama and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) to Omani NGOs, schools, mosques, colleges and women’s organizations. Al-Mustadaama has also created Oman’s first dedicated road safety website www.salimandsalimah.org to accompany the campaign.

“This interactive site has received a good response since its launch in February not only in Oman, but also in Europe, including positive feedback from the European Commission and WHO, as well as the United States where there are significant Arab/Muslim minorities,” Bhacker said. “It is already ranked at the top of Google and Yahoo for Oman road crashes/deaths and child passenger safety. I invite everyone to visit the site to view film clips in both Arabic and English, learn the details of the safety campaign as well as download free materials including safety tips, Oman and global road crash facts and our first ever ‘Personal Story.’”

The “Salim and Salimah, Safe and Sound” campaign seeks to educate and change the behavior of drivers in Oman by raising awareness among parents of the danger of death or severe injury posed to their babies and children carried unrestrained in vehicles. The campaign encourages parents and caretaker drivers to protect children by buckling them in car safety seats or seatbelts appropriate to their height and weight. Al-Mustadaama believes that the campaign is of direct relevance and benefit to other countries in the Middle East.

“Very few road safety resources are currently available for around 350 million Arabic speakers,” Bhacker explained. “We used the film clips and other resources at the website to show graphically that road safety is not a cultural issue. None of us is immune from the hazards of the highway or the laws of physics. Death, pain and suffering are universal. Regardless of race, creed or color, no mother or father, ever recovers from the death of a child. Grief respects no boundaries.”

The vast majority of children in Oman, as in other countries of the Gulf, travel unrestrained in vehicles. It is common to see several small children standing or kneeling on the front passenger seat, or climbing from the front to the back seats while the vehicle is moving. Babies are carried in the arms of another passenger or even the driver, or placed loose on the seat. This behavior, combined with high speeds and inattentiveness, is often lethal. In collisions, unrestrained children are ejected through the windscreen or doors of the vehicle or suffer traumatic injury from hitting its hard interior surfaces.

The first priority for Al-Mustadaama when the campaign commenced in 2004 was to commission a driver behavioral survey in Oman, funded by PDO. The survey showed that most parents felt they were acting in their children’s best interests by having them close to them while driving. Additionally, underlying this belief were thoughts such as, “I am a good driver” and “Accidents happen to others, not to me or my family.” The insights gained from the survey were then used to script the film scenarios.

“You cannot control the behavior of other drivers on the road but you can control your own behavior and the environment inside your own car. Say no to your child riding at risk today!” emphasized Bhacker. “We plan to further develop the website with the intention to generate and sustain momentum on road safety issues and inspire public awareness campaigns throughout the Arab and developing world and elsewhere. If you would like to know how you can become involved in this initiative, contact us on [email protected].”