This is in reference to the column “The war on our roads” by Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg. It was an excellent article on our disastrous traffic system.

In his piece he outlined all factors leading to these accidents and ways to prevent them, however, he overlooked the most crucial factor i.e. the role of traffic police in monitoring and implementing traffic rules to ensure safety on Kingdom’s roads.

I have seen on many occasions that the traffic police simply don’t want to do their job. They seem to be manning crucial traffic points with no purpose. It is quite embarrassing to hear that some neighboring countries are giving driving lessons and ethics to Saudis visiting them.

I would put the onus of responsibility on our traffic officials for these catastrophic accidents in the Kingdom, as they simply don’t care to implement the rules and regulations.

I would like to request the traffic police department to start recruiting more unemployed youngsters to their department and address the unemployment issues instead of proudly presenting figures of accidents and fatalities and the excuse of not enough personnel to do the job.

I would request them to please help save lives by enforcing what they are obliged to do. — Alwee Attas, By e-mail