Director of Jeddah Traffic Management Col. Mohammed Hassan Al-Qahtani said the campaign, which launches on June 15, is part of a long-term strategy designed to cut road deaths in the city.

The first phase of the strategy, launched last month, aimed to decrease the number of violations on the roads and increase awareness among motorists of the importance of following traffic rules.

“The first phase of the campaign covered all Jeddah roads and we focused on the safety of the driver,” he added.

“Our objective in the first phase was to decrease the number of violations such as driving through red lights, using a mobile while driving, not using a safety belt and driving recklessly.” According to Al-Qahtani, the number of accidents decreased during the first phase of the campaign in April.

He added that Jeddah Traffic Management had recorded 241,689 violations last month in Jeddah alone. Motorists driving through a red light and using a mobile phone while driving were the worst culprits.

Al-Qahtani confirmed that next phase of the campaign would focus on the roadworthiness of vehicles and tire safety. Motorists will also be encouraged not cause obstructions on the roads or drive while tired, he added.

He said the fourth phase of the campaign would coincide with the beginning of Eid Al-Fitr and would focus on the most common driving mistakes during the holiday, including young drivers being reckless, braking abruptly for no reason, not following road signs correctly and impatience when stuck in a traffic jam.