Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Disabled Children’s Association (DCA), has reiterated calls for raising awareness about safe driving among citizens in the wake of shocking statistics on annual accident and mortality rates Kingdom-wide.

Recent statistics reveal that there are around 40,000 traffic injuries in the Kingdom annually.

About 30 percent of victims end up with permanent disabilities, translating to an astounding 35 handicap cases and 20 deaths daily.

The Kingdom loses about SR21 billion to road accidents annually, while 80 percent of victims suffer from physical handicaps.

The safe driving campaign was recently launched by the DCA. The Al-Jazirah Vehicles Agencies Co. participated in the event, garnering praise from the prince.

“The participation of Al-Jazirah will give the campaign a much needed boost in delivering the message of safe driving among citizens,” he said.

Abdullah Alkredes, president of Al-Jazirah Ford and Lincoln in Saudi Arabia, said “Our participation comes in line with social responsibility programs that we embark on in accordance with our comprehensive plans.”

“Such plans ensure our contribution to various national events and activities and enhance the company’s social presence among youth and other segments of society,” he said.

Alkredes valued the efforts of Prince Sultan and the campaign’s team in serving a noble humanitarian cause.

“Such accidents are a nightmare for families who suffer painful personal losses and a nightmare for the country’s leadership in terms of the huge losses incurred by the national economy, which sometimes exceed the national budget of an entire country,” said Alkredes.