JEDDAH: The Shoura Council on Sunday endorsed the national executive plan for traffic safety and called for the strict application of traffic regulations and the introduction of metro rail systems in major cities to reduce the number of traffic accidents.
Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, secretary-general of the Shoura, said the consultative body passed the plan after discussing the views of its Security Affairs Committee with a majority of members voting in favor. “The plan aims at reducing the large number of deaths and injuries caused by road accidents,” Al-Ghamdi said.
Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s highest road accident rates. Last year 485,931 accidents took place in the country, killing 6,458 people and injuring 36,486. Speeding and disregard for safety regulations were cited as the main causes of accidents in the Kingdom.
The new plan calls for strict and just enforcement of traffic regulations on all drivers, constructing modern roads all over the Kingdom according to recognized safety standards, providing alternative means of transport, such as trains between provinces and metros in cities, and ensuring traffic safety.
“While preparing the plan, the Shoura observed that all relevant government and private agencies and civil institutions must join hands to make it a success,” the secretary-general said, adding that the plan’s success would depend on integrated and joint efforts of national agencies.
He said the plan, which also calls for the modernization of traffic regulations and improving the organizational setup of the Traffic Department, would be presented to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his final approval.
Ali Al-Ghamdi, former chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee and professor of traffic and transport engineering at King Saud University, estimated the annual cost of road accidents at about SR26 billion, which is equal to four percent of the country’s gross domestic product. He said about one-third of beds in government hospitals are occupied by accident victims. “About 45 percent of accidents are caused by speeding,” he pointed out.
Dr. Mohammed Bakhsh, director of the emergency room at King Fahd Hospital, said the Ministry of Health was conducting a detailed study on the costs of treating road accident victims in public hospitals across the country. According to preliminary estimates, medical tests and care given to an accident victim range from SR100,000 to SR120,000.
