The report, which was released to mark the beginning of the 26th Gulf Traffic Week on Sunday, states that injuries resulting from traffic accidents exceeded 36,000 and major accidents accounted for 5 percent of the total, resulting in 13 deaths for every 1,000 accidents.
According to the report, some 30 percent of accidents in Riyadh area were due to drivers jumping traffic lights, followed by 18 percent due to illegal u-turns. Speeding, sudden stops and engaging in other activities while driving, such as using mobile phones, were among the reasons leading to accidents.
In a report issued by the World Health Organization, the Kingdom has the highest road accident death toll in the world. The rate is put at 49 deaths for every 100,000 residents.
WHO gave the Kingdom 5 points out of 10 in applying speed limits, 2 out of 10 in applying helmet wearing for motorcycle riders and cyclists, 5 out of 10 in applying seatbelt regulations and 2 out of 10 in ensuring children’s safety in vehicles.
Meanwhile, a study by King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology indicated that Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province account for most of the traffic accidents in the country.
The study warned that if accidents continued to rise at the current rate, the number of accidents would hit 4.2 million annually by 2030.
The Kingdom recorded 4 million traffic accidents during the past 19 years, resulting in 86,000 deaths and 611,000 injuries, 7 percent of which have resulted in disabilities.
