JEDDAH, 3 November 2003 — City streets are seeing an increase in car accidents during Ramadan, especially before iftar, when people are rushing to break their fast. The rise is an annual phenomenon and the authorities appear to accept it as an integral part of the season and have taken no action to counter it.
“I try and avoid the streets of Jeddah an hour before iftar,” Ziad Mokhtar, a government employee, told Arab News. “It’s dangerous to drive around during that time because everybody is driving like crazy trying to beat the clock. And the police are nowhere to be seen — but then how much can they do at such times?”
Fouad Al-Ghamdi, a parent, said: “Not a day passes by in Ramadan when I don’t see at least two car accidents. And to make matters worse, you most likely see the drivers dealing with the accidents by shouting — sometimes even the fists come out. It’s as if with the sun setting, all traffic regulations are thrown out the window.”
Ahmad Fadel agrees that reckless driving during the rush hour before iftar is a menace. “I had an accident two days ago at an intersection because another driver ran a red light. What made matters worse is that the driver behind me ended up crashing into my car. It turns out that he’s some family’s driver rushing to get an iftar meal to his employers.”
