RIYADH: The General Directorate of Traffic (GDT), Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) and the Disabled Children’s Association collectively launched a nationwide awareness campaign on traffic accidents hoping to reduce the number of road mishaps.

The initiative titled “Allah Yatik Khairha” (May Allah bless you with goodness) was launched here at SCTNH headquarters on Monday and subsequently adopted by the GDT and the Disabled Children’s Association, a SCTNH spokesman said on Wednesday, adding that the campaign has been launched under an agreement signed between SCTNH and the association to support the initiative and enhance awareness through different branches of the tourism commission and tourism activities, events, national festivals, exhibitions and travel and tourism offices.

He stated that the awareness campaign is divided into three phases with the first phase beginning on Tuesday, starting with SCTNH staff in its headquarters, and then moving to its 16 branches and over 30 tourism offices across the Kingdom.

The second phase of the awareness campaign will include tourism events and festivals organized by the commission including the Souq Okaz, the cultural festival on the outskirt of Taif resort city, the Historic Jeddah Festival and Summerfests in the capital city of Riyadh and picturesque Abha, as these are popular festivals where people gather in huge numbers and the message on traffic awareness will have greater impact.

The third phase of the initiative will be disseminated in tourism facilities (hotels, furnished apartments and travel and tourism offices) and other facilities associated with the commission.

The campaign was launched by Waleed Al-Humaidi, SCTNH vice president (provinces) on behalf of Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of SCTNH.

Al-Humaidi, on the occasion, affirmed that SCTNH will support the initiative across the Kingdom through its branches, tourism facilities and events as the commission recently signed an MoU with this initiative to emphasize its social role in light of the great achievements of the initiative in previous campaigns.

Significantly, this time the initiative plans to launch a radio awareness program with the same name “Allah Yatik Khairha” on one of the Kingdom’s popular radio stations.

Moreover, the plan is underway in schools across the Kingdom as per directives of Education Minister Azzam Al-Dakhil.

Awad Al-Ghamdi, director of Disabled Children’s Association, applauded SCTNH for persistent keenness toward linking different organizations and enhancing cooperation among them in a way that serves the public interest.

“This inauguration implies special importance in light of SCTH’s large base of facilities, activities that are performed under its umbrella, which will offer a new launching pad for the initiative through being part of large public activities and events,” he said.

Notably, following the efforts by government agencies and private sector partners, the number of accidents has come down during the past year.

According to official statistics accidents cases treated in hospitals have dropped from 30 percent to 27 percent; disability cases due to traffic accidents dropped from 80 percent to 77 percent; the number of injuries in road accidents annually dropped from 40,000 to 35,843 cases; the mortality rate dropped from 20 to19 cases a day; and daily traffic accidents fell from 1,400 to 1,310.