JEDDAH, 27 October — Saudi women are actively participating in the ongoing nationwide traffic awareness campaign launched on Oct. 17.
Wafa Abdul Jawad, head of the campaign’s women’s section, said they had received more than 2,500 calls from Saudi women inquiring about the behavior of drug addicts and how to deal with them.
“These inquiries reflect their desire to deal with one of the main reasons of road accidents and protect their family members from falling in the trap of drugs,” Wafa told Arab News.
This year’s campaign focuses on the reasons behind traffic accidents, especially speeding and drug addiction.
Princess Aljowhara bint Khaled, wife of Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal ibn Majed, inaugurated the women’s campaign program on Wednesday. An exhibition on traffic accidents is being held on the sidelines of the campaign, to enlighten drivers about the hazards of
speeding and violating traffic regulations.
“During the campaign, people will be told the reasons for drug addiction and its relation to road accidents,” Wafa said, adding that Saudi women who contacted the campaign organizers had demanded traffic police to disclose the reasons for each traffic accident as they could compile accurate statistics.
The Kingdom has one of the world’s highest rates of road accidents.
On Thursday, three Saudis, including a child, perished in a road accident on the southern Taif-Baha Road after their cars collided head-on. A man and his son coming from Baha and a youth who was on his way to Baha to visit his mother, died on the spot.
“The driver of the car heading to Taif side was talking on his mobile phone while overtaking a truck. He was caught off guard by a speeding car coming from the opposite direction,” witnesses said.
A relative said the man had been talking to his father on the phone when the accident happened.
“He shouted when he saw the car and the telephone talk was cut off. The father wanted to know what had happened to his son and grandson,” the relative added.
