JEDDAH: A new campaign has been launched to reduce mortality rates on the roads in the region by 15 percent, with participants including the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Red Crescent, Makkah Traffic department and other agencies.

The JCCI has set up a Committee of Friends of the Red Crescent to help oversee the campaign.

Adnan Mandoura, secretary general of the JCCI, said the plan is to establish a partnership between public and private sector bodies to tackle this growing problem.

Ahmed bin Mohammed Sheikha, chairman of the committee, said the aim is to support the work of the Red Crescent at accident sites, which would include moving the injured to hospitals as quickly as possible, and assisting with rehabilitation if required afterwards.

If there is quick intervention, then there is the possibility of reducing mortality and injury rates by up to 15 percent. He said about 526,000 accidents occur every year in the Kingdom, which is about and 12 to 17 deaths a day, costing the economy an estimated SR21 billion.

The Kingdom has the second highest mortality rate from road accidents in the Arab world, and 23rd worldwide.

Accidents claim the lives of 1.2 million people a year across the world.

Shoddy traffic planning, inadequate enforcement of traffic laws and a lack of coordination between various government agencies including health and education have been listed as major causes of road accidents.