Speaking to Al-Riyadh newspaper, many motorists claimed that traffic police are slow in sorting out accidents, even minor ones. Drivers involved in crashes normally leave their vehicles where they are, obstructing traffic flow until officers arrive.
Saudi citizen Abdul Rahman Ahmad stressed the need for deploying more traffic patrol units on expressways and major roads, especially during peak hours.
“They should closely monitor the general flow of traffic so they can quickly deal with any accidents. This would help avoid traffic jams,” he said, while calling on drivers involved in minor accidents to move their vehicles to the roadside to avoid obstructing traffic.
Saeed Al-Saleh, another citizen, recalled that he once got involved in an accident where his car hit the rear side of another vehicle. “The fault lay with the other driver who stopped suddenly without turning the parking lights on. This forced many vehicles to stop suddenly, resulting in a number of minor accidents and a big traffic jam,” he said, adding that people refuse to move on because the driver responsible for the accident is determined by the position of the vehicles involved.
Al-Saleh urged the authorities to amend the traffic law to allow drivers involved in accidents to remove their vehicles from accident spots in the middle of the roads.
Ibrahim Abdullah, another citizen, agreed that the current rule that requires drivers involved in accidents to leave their vehicles where they are until traffic policemen arrive often leads to chaos and congestion. There is also a possibility that other accidents will happen as a result of the congestion, he added.
“One day, I reached work very late due to three different accidents that happened on a two-kilometer stretch of the road. During such accidents, traffic jams turn into chaotic scenes with some drivers getting out to witness the accident,” he said, underlining the need for facilitating effective traffic movement, especially to take possible casualties to hospitals.
Yahya Hussein, a Saudi, blasted the poor performance of the company contracted to handle accident cases. “Like other citizens, I also hoped the company handling accident cases in various cities and regions would improve the situation,” he said.
“However, representatives of the company are often late in reaching accident spots. Even in cases of minor accidents inside cities, they take more than an hour to reach the site, causing heavy traffic jams,” he said, urging the company to increase the frequency of their patrol units.
“The Traffic Department should also evaluate the company’s performance, and investigate seriously any cases of inaction or delay in handling accident cases.”
Hassan Al-Hadi, an official from the Traffic Department, urged insurance companies to compete with each other in extending the best possible services to citizens and ease the burden on the traffic police.
“These companies should find quick solutions to accident cases where one party is not insured to protect the rights of all parties involved. They should also play a vital role in implementing an intensive awareness program among citizens and foreigners,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Hansh Al-Shehri, director general of the Traffic Department in Asir province, said his department’s tie-up with Najm Insurance Service Company was a major breakthrough in dealing with traffic accident cases in the region. The company has been authorized by the Traffic Department to deal with road accidents.
The company is entrusted with the tasks of determining the responsibility for accidents and removing vehicles from roads. It also contacts insurance companies and helps drivers who possess a valid motor insurance.
The project, launched in cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), the National Committee for Insurance as well as licensed insurance companies, is still in its initial stage and is yet to be implemented all over the Kingdom, he added.
Col. Ali Al-Hotaila, director of traffic in Najran province, said even minor accidents cause heavy traffic jams. “We have successfully tested a system to ease traffic congestion with the help of cameras in Najran,” he said.
