An awareness campaign for motorists to choose the best and safest tires for their vehicles was recently launched in the three main cities of the Kingdom. The campaign, organized and sponsored by Al-Amoudi Holding Company, was launched in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, and aims to enlighten motorists of the hazards posed by defective or unsuitable tires. The campaign is an extension of the overall national efforts to reduce traffic accidents on the Kingdom's roads which, according to the latest estimates, kills an average of 17 people a day. According to a World Health Organization study, Saudi Arabia has the world's highest number of deaths from road accidents, which now make up the country's principal cause of death in adult males aged 16 to 36. The study found that 6,485 people had died and more than 36,000 were injured in over 485,000 traffic accidents during 2008 and 2009. Recently, authorities have started various initiatives to curb the growing number of accidents on the Kingdom's roads. These include reducing the speed limit on expressways and the installation of Saher traffic cameras on major roads in Jeddah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province. But the fact remains that defective, bald and used low quality tires could be the major reasons for road accidents. As part of the awareness campaign, representatives of the Al-Amoudi Holding Company are distributing flyers and brochures among motorists containing all the information about the dangers posed by faulty tires and the tires best suited for a given vehicle. Saeed Mohammed Al-Amoudi, the owner of the company, said that the campaign stems from the company's community service responsibilities. “We have worked hard to collect precise information about the tires most suitable to the weather conditions in our country. We also referred to the Directorate General of Traffic regulations and to some of the well-known tire manufacturers,” Al-Amoudi said. Abdullatif Al-Amoudi, executive manager of the company, said that they are facing many problems in educating the public about the best tires they should chosoe for safer driving. “Unfortunately, most of the tire buyers would prefer to go for the lowest price. It is very important to know that around 70 percent of the accidents in our country are caused by low quality, used and bald tires,” he explained. He also noted that a customer should be acquainted with required specifications of the tires that comply with the car's weight, speed, weather conditions, and other related issues. “For example, the tires with the letter code “AB” printed on them are most suitable to be used in our country because they can withstand the highest levels of temperature. There are some other codes indicating the speed tolerance like “L” for the maximum speed of 120 kilometers and “Y” for 300 kilometers,” he said. The volunteers of the campaign are touring malls, streets, youth hangouts, some tires stores, and public places to distribute the brochures and ensure a wider spread of information.
