JEDDAH: As highways and the number of registered vehicles continue to soar, so do traffic accidents.
According to the latest data (2007) from the World Health Organization (WHO), Saudi Arabia ranks among the most dangerous countries in the world in terms of traffic fatalities with 29 out of every 100,000 people dying on the Kingdom’s roads.
Concerned about the rising incidents, Saudi professionals and local law enforcement officials have been involved since 2000 in preparing campaigns and initiatives to educate and warn drivers of the dangers of speeding and disregarding traffic laws.
However, aside from the positive efforts and good intentions of the campaigns and initiatives, estimates have shown that passengers and drivers of the country’s estimated 9.1 million vehicles were involved in 485,931 accidents that injured 36,486 people and killed 6,458.
This was some of the data released recently at the Traffic Protection Exhibition held in Buqaiq. Speaking to Arab News on the subject, Ibrahim Al-Aqeel and Homoud Al-Sabban, paramedics at the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, and Naeem Dawood, manager of the Red Crescent at Jeddah’s Obhur branch, said that drivers were not getting the message.
“Although promoting awareness among local motorists is important, I would like to see more cooperation, training and partnership among the traffic police, health professionals and the Civil Defense in helping each other do their jobs more effectively. I think it will help reduce the number of accidents and fatalities if we modernize the system for handling emergencies.”
Citing an example of how better cooperation would work Al-Aqeel explained that one of the biggest problems they encounter while trying to get patients to the hospital is the lack of courtesy by other motorists. Namely, they ignore ambulances instead of moving out of their paths.
“Many drivers see the flashing lights and hear the siren, which is supposed to alert them to move out of the way so the ambulance can get through, however what we have witnessed is that the opposite happens and motorists slow down and block intersections trying to see what is happening,” said Al-Aqeel, adding that traffic police could help save lives if they enforced laws.
Concentrating on another idea that would help reduce traffic accidents, Al-Aqeel and Al-Sabban said that since paramedics are one of the first to the scene of the accident they would like to ask for an initiative similar to the one seen launched internationally and recently in the neighboring United Arab Emirates, known as ICE or In Case of Emergency. This program urges people to type the letters “ICE” next to the person in their mobile phone contact list that should be contacted in the event of an accident.
“I think as paramedics we could also be helpful to the traffic police by launching the ICE campaign,” Al-Aqeel explained, adding that this information could be retrieved in case a patient’s wallet or purse is unable to provide information of who to contact.
“I would like to suggest that the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, Traffic Police Department, and Civil Defense Department work together to launch this campaign which would not only provide awareness about the dangers of traffic accidents but also help us as professionals better respond to this growing problem,” he added.
