The 30th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Traffic Week kicked off on Sunday across the region to ensure greater public safety on roads by reducing the number of traffic accidents in all the six member countries and finding solutions to different traffic problems.

The General Directorate of Traffic organized an event in collaboration with the High Commission for Riyadh Development and Saudi Aramco to mark the occasion at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center.

Prince Turki bin Abdullah, deputy governor of Riyadh region, inaugurated the opening of the traffic week entitled “Your Safety is Our Goal” and welcomed the guests from GCC countries participating in the events.

Speaking to Arab News, a GCC official said that the event, which will continue through March 15 as part of an initiative covering all the GCC states, is being observed to ensure greater road safety.

“It aims at ensuring the safety of people, reducing the number of traffic accidents in all the six GCC countries and finding solutions to different traffic problems,” the official said.

The program will see various activities related to traffic safety such as workshops, seminars, public talks and lectures for awareness and exchange of visits by the delegates from the rest of GCC countries.

Saudi Arabia records the highest rate of road accidents and fatalities in the region and having the world’s most dangerous roads as statistics from the general directorate of traffic indicate. The Kingdom records 23 deaths per 100,000 people, with on average 19.1 road fatalities daily, which causes huge loss to the state exchequer.

A recent research study conducted by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), found that traffic accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the Kingdom and the medical costs to treat 50,000 cases of undiagnosed patients may reach SR25 billion by 2020.

As it is a matter of lack of discipline on roads, better enforcement of speed limits and traffic laws through weeklong awareness campaign would help reduce road accidents.