Saudi Gazette/PSCJ poll Top 10 Saudi bad driving habits No. % Driving over the median 478 94.6 l Backing up on main roads 473 94.6 l Blocking turn-on-red lane 446 89.2 l Using high-beams in city driving 383 76.6 l Blinking high beams to overpass on highways 376 72.2 l Lane changing with no signals 361 72.2 l Driving on emergency pavement on highways 336 67.2 l Blocking parked cars 323 64.5 Placing infant in driver's lap 224 44.8 l Using mobile/texting while driving 216 43.2 JEDDAH — A Saudi Gazette opinion poll conducted in collaboration with the Prince Sultan College for Tourism and Business (PSCJ) research department in Jeddah shows that non-Saudis believe Saudis are driving worse than ever before. Gone are the days when going through a red light and burning tires were the major problems. Jeddah's expanding network of bridges and tunnels has left less space for motorists and with everyone in a hurry, there is more unlawful conduct on the congested streets. The poll, which included 500 legal residents and holders of Saudi driver licenses, was conducted in collaboration with the Saudi Gazette reporters over 15 days. Interviewing was exclusively with non-Saudi drivers in designated places such as the Dallah driver education school, car inspection center, Jeddah Traffic Department and popular cafes along the Corniche such as Al-Nakheel and Al-Jazeera Al-Khadra. The top three moving violations were driving over the median (478 responses, 94.6 percent), backing up on main roads and highways (473, 94.6 percent) and blocking a turn lane (446, 89.2 percent). Commenting on these findings, Rayan Owaidh, PSCJ Deputy-registrar said: “Traffic violations are going on and has become something you get used to it. We all know it is unlawful but with trucks and building machines on roads during the day I drive over the median to make quick moves when a lane clears up. I do it on days when there is heavy traffic on certain roads such as on Madina Road or Al-Malik Boulevard especially going back home between 2.30 P.M. and 4.00 P.M.” Traffic violations involving illegal moves are not among the traffic patrols' pressing priorities. In a city of more than 2.3 million vehicles as recorded in January 2011, according to the National Information Center in Riyadh, traffic patrols have their hands full. Hassan Aldhfaiari, a 36-year-old motorbike patrol officer, said: “My assigned priorities are to deal with accidents that result in death or injuries and to free traffic immediately. We also have to tow away cars from accident scenes, those parked illegally in front of government buildings, popular food restaurants, youth cafes and health clubs.” He added that increased fines and the more widespread use of the Saher system would cut down on speeding and red-light jumping violations. Hassan Mutawee, a 51-year-old cab driver, said many drivers know where the speed traps are. “There are five speed traps on the Jeddah-Makah road. The most obvious is two kilometers east of Behra. Just stay within the speed limit half kilometer before and another half kilometer afterwards and it is smooth sailing.” Unidentified police cars (UPC) are also a way to combat over speeding that is being used by the Jeddah Traffic Control Department, especially on the road to and from King Abdul Aziz Airport. Abdullah Kuno, an interviewer with the research team, said non-Saudi drivers were happy to talk. “They want someone to listen, they have a lot of grievances about high rents, insufficient family medical coverage and other issues. Driving hassles is one of them. They feel as if Saudis are pushing them off the road so they can go first.” Hosni Abdulazeem, an Egyptian accountant and 21-year resident of Jeddah, said. “I lived in the golden years of Jeddah traffic in the late eighties, the not-so-bad nineties and the really bad new millennium. Jeddah needs stricter enforcement of driving laws. People will try to get away with murder if no one is watching.” Other violations by Saudis include driving with high-beam lights in the city at night (76.6 percent) and cutting in front of a moving vehicle on highways (72.2 percent). Nuruddin Rabajanta, a bus driver with SAPTCO for the last 12 years, said using high-beam lights on the highways, is dangerous. “Driving over the shoulder and emergency pavement is more dangerous because at 120 kilometers an hour, a slight collision could roll a huge bus and even send a suburban vehicle spinning off the road like a dizzy bee,” he added. Other Saudi violations include blocking lawfully parked cars, placing an infant on a driver's lap and using a mobile to make calls and texting while driving (50.8 percent). __
