RIYADH: The General Directorate of Traffic in Jazan launched recently a traffic campaign to create awareness on the dangers of fast driving among motorists in the region.
Maj. Gen. Nasser bin Saleh Al-Duwaisi, Jazan region police chief and head of the security committee, inaugurated the launching of the traffic campaign.
“The campaign will last for several days under the slogan ‘Peace Festival’ to raise awareness on the dangers posed by fast driving,” he said.
Major Ibrahim Tumaihi, supervisor of the project, said that brochures about it would be distributed along key public roads.
“The brochures will include instructions on safe driving of a vehicle. They will illustrate the seriousness of allowing people below 18 years of age drive vehicles,” he said.
Publications on the culture of safe driving would also be found in large commercial centers in the region such as Cady Mall Al Rashid, he added.
Al-Duwaisi said the widespread dissemination of information on the campaign showed the keenness of Jazan Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Nasser on the project.
He thanked the Jazan governor, the University of Jazan, among others, for their support for the “Peace Festival” campaign.
The traffic campaign comes on the heels of a spate of road accidents in the region.
Meanwhile, 10 people died and many others were injured in four separate car accidents in Asir on Wednesday prompting the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SCRA) to issue a warning to motorists to be more careful while driving.
Mohammed Hassan Al-Shihri, regional spokesman for the SCRA, said that the organization received an information that in the first and second car accidents, three died and four were injured.
“The two accidents took place separately at the Marba Center according the information received at the SCRA operations center,” he said.
In the second and third accidents which took place in Thuwailah on the Dhahran-Jonub-Najran road, three were injured and three died. He added that in the fourth car accident, which took place on the Ablah- Bisha road, one died and three others were injured.
“The occurrence of four accidents in one day is just too much. It unavoidably shows that motorists are not taking extra precautions while driving,” Hassan said. He added that based on the information received by SCRA, many of the accidents in the region take place because of speeding.
“Motorists should follow traffic rules and regulations and must drive according to prescribed speed limits for their own safety as well as convenience,” he said. He also noted that a few days back, at least 21 road accidents took place in one day in the region, with paramedics responding to different reports about car accidents.
“These accidents resulted in the death of seven people and the injury of 28 others. All victims were transported to local hospitals or given on-the-spot medical attention,” he said.
Earlier, 15 were also killed and two injured in a collision between two cars on Haima Road in Wadi bin Hashil in Asir region. Among those killed in the accident were six children. The two seriously injured patients were transferred to Hayat Medical Hospital.
Early last month, a head-on collision between two cars along the Siba-Bish highway resulted in the death of four teachers and serious injuries to another. One of the cars caught fire after the collision.
The accident was one of several serious accidents that took place in Jazan the same day.
A Red Crescent spokesman said the operations room received three reports about traffic accidents, including the one resulting in the death of four teachers.
The second accident involved a collision between a Jeep and a truck along the Jazan-Siba highway, resulting in injuries to one person, while the third accident resulted in injuries to one person as well.
Campaign against fast driving as 10 die in accidents
Campaign against fast driving as 10 die in accidents
