A surprisingly large turnout of women marked the launch here Sunday of the Arab world's first academy for defensive driving. Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia but their huge participation in the launch of Safra Defensive Driving Academy (SDDA) at Jeddah Raceway here suggests that Saudi society is closing ranks to assume collective social responsibility for reducing the Kingdom's high road-death and injury rates, considered among the highest in the world. “Our interest in the event is because the men in our family drive,” said one woman who asked not to be identified. “Besides, we are driven around by men.” Statistics show that 270,000 car accidents occur every year in Saudi Arabia, the highest in the GCC and other Arab countries. One person is killed and eight are injured every two hours, and 32,000 people are injured every year due to traffic accidents in the Kingdom. Most of the victims are young Saudis. There were about 200 women in the approximately 500-strong turnout for the launch of SDDA by Jeddah Governor Prince Mishal Bin Majed. The event, held in a huge tent with separate sections for men and women, was held under the auspices of Makkah Emir Prince Khalid Al-Faisal. The Academy is a joint venture by Safra Company Limited (a subsidiary of Xenel Group) and United Racing Company (URC), owner and operator of Jeddah Raceway, the first motor racing circuit in Saudi Arabia. Prince Faisal Bin Saud Bin Abdul Mohsen is the chairman of URC. SDDA has drawn on the expertise of the National Defensive Driving Academy (NDDA) of Arizona, USA, for the school. “Our definition of defensive driving is the adoption of a driving style designed to make the driver far less likely to be involved in an accident – irrespective of the poor driving of other people,” said Bernard Strass who runs the Arizona academy, in his speech. SDDA courses are fully aligned with NDDA principles, with only subtle modifications necessary to meet local driving conditions, he said. NDDA-trained Saudi lecturers and instructors will conduct the courses, said Mishaal Al-Sulaiman, URC vice-chairman and head of SDDA, who had come up with the idea of the academy. SDDA's goal is to graduate 20,000 trainees through theoretical and practical training. Other collaborators in SDDA are Arab Organization for Traffic Safety, Jeddah Council for Social Responsibility of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), and the Royal Organization for the Prevention of Traffic Accidents. Sheikh Yousuf Ahmed Yousuf Xenel, a director of Safra Co. Ltd., said the private sector was supporting government efforts through SDDA. “In view of the different cultures among motorists, and taking into account the cause of social development, we thought it most appropriate to support this academy in achieving its goals of teaching the art of defensive driving, of enhancing all conduct associated with safe driving and of raising the awareness of the motorists about the extent of his responsibility,” he said. Monal Zeidan, Marketing and Communications Director General of Nissan Middle East, said they are offering 2,500 course scholarships to local schools, colleges and universities. Elfat Mohammed Kabani, board member of Jeddah Council for Social Responsibility, noted in her speech that 40 percent of those involved in accidents in Saudi Arabia are young people. “Therefore, it requires all our efforts and resources available to reduce these accidents... since protecting the lives of our sons, our mainstay, is a social responsibility upon all of us.” Brig. Amin Bin Abdul Hamid Qashqary, vice chairman of the Arab Organization for Traffic Safety, described SDDA as “a quality program unique in the Arab World” and said it should be extended to other cities in Saudi Arabia. Course subjects Awareness of the risks on public roads Safety measures, the equipment on cars and the right ways to use them Ways to avoid accidents Right behavior in case of an accident Safe-driving with babies and infants on board Building self-confidence behind the steering wheel Course duration: 6 hours - 3 hours theory, 3 hours driving. Instructor course: 1 week __
