RIYADH – Traffic specialists working on the traffic safety plan being designed by the Traffic Administration in conjunction with King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) project said that over one million accidents will take place in the Kingdom in the year 2020, of which 8,566 will involve fatalities if the current traffic problem is not solved by then. The cost of these accidents will cost the government anywhere between SR300 to SR650 billion, said Dr. Abdul Al-Suwailim, KACST vice-president and chairman of the supervisory board overseeing the work of the national traffic committee. These projections were based on statistics compiled by the traffic administration from 1971 to 2011 which showed that over eight million accidents occurred during the period. Around one million people were injured, while 149,000 were killed by these accidents, he noted. In 2011 alone, 544,179 traffic accidents occurred injuring 39,000 persons and claiming the lives of 7,153 people, averaging 20 fatalities a day, Dr. Al-Suwailim pointed out. “We noticed that most fatalities of these accidents that took place in the year 2011 were below 40 years old.” KASCT and the Traffic Administration are working on a plan to dramatically reduce the number of fatalities and injuries caused by traffic accidents, Dr. Al-Suwailim said. The plan will also focus on improving the conduct of drivers over the next few years and keep them abreast of the latest developments in the world of traffic and road safety, he said. “We'll implement in cooperation with other pertinent authorities 70 traffic safety projects to deal with this problem.” The plan focuses on raising drivers' awareness of the importance of safe driving. One of the projects focuses on curtailing the importation of vehicles that do not meet Saudi standards and specifications, while another focus on developing driving schools' programs. Another product set up a national fund to support the activities related to traffic safety. Experts unanimously agreed that the plan's success depends on three factors: setting up a supreme traffic council, approving all aspects of the plan, and obtaining necessary funds for all projects.
