There is a road dubbed by locals as the Death Road, Road of Carnage and Black Snake. It is 800 kilometers long and runs from Jeddah to Jazan. It is the scene of numerous fatal accidents, something that the people of villages dotted along the road can testify to. Most of those killed tend to be from these very villages. The road—which runs along the Red Sea—has been the scene of horrific accidents, most of them head-on collisions. Scores of people die along this road each week. According to statistics from Al-Qunfudah Hospital, 60 percent of accidents on the road are fatal with motorists dying at the scene or shortly after being taken to hospital. Highway patrol statistics also show that stray camels at night account for 30 percent of accidents. Commuters from Makkah and Jeddah who work in Al-Laith Governorate suffer immensely on the road. Ali Al-Marbaee lives in Jeddah but works in a village in Al-Laith. “I struggled to find a decent place to live nearby to no avail and so commute everyday with a few of my colleagues,” he said. “We are in danger and at risk of having a fatal accident any day of the week as the road is quite unsafe. I've been working in the same place for 10 years and I've seen fatal accidents and many people breathe their last on this road,” he said. The most horrific accident he has seen was one in which a family of six hit a truck at dawn. “They were all pronounced dead at the scene. We stopped and together with my colleagues tried to help those injured. We called an ambulance, which arrived an hour later because the nearest hospital was 80 kilometers away,” he said. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi works as a teacher in the Laith governorate and drives daily from Jeddah. “I thank Allah each day when I manage to get home safe. There is no strict enforcement of traffic rules on this road. You could drive for 100 kilometers without seeing a police car. That's why most drivers speed because there is no Saher here,” said Al-Ghamdi. The other problem is there are only a few ambulance stations on the road from Jeddah to Laith and they are scattered. In the event of an accident, other drivers stop and help until the ambulance arrives. Sometimes, motorists transport the injured to the nearest hospital. Teacher Muhammad Al-Ahmari said there is only one ambulance station after one leaves Jeddah. “This means that this particular station has to cover 200 kilometers. Some cases are urgent and need emergency treatment,” he said. The hospital and clinics in the governorate also suffer because they are underequipped and cannot deal with emergencies. Laith Hospital is the largest but has only one emergency unit with eight beds and five ambulances. It also does not have special units and can only provide limited first aid and basic surgery. Serious cases are transported to King Abdulaziz Hospital in Jeddah. There is also only one Civil Defense station on the road. If a car were to catch fire, then it would take a fire engine some time before it is able to arrive. Many drivers also complain that the road has few warning signs, especially at dangerous spots. A driver could drive 30 kilometers without seeing a sign. There are also no signs warning drivers about stray camels.
