JEDDAH: Sixty-nine percent of motorists in the Kingdom use mobile phones while driving, a survey conducted by King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center has found.
The revelation comes as a surprise because the traffic police’s pleas against talking on the phone while driving, which is among the main causes of accidents, seem to be falling on deaf ears.
Saudi Arabia enjoys the dubious distinction of leading the chart of accidental deaths in the world, with 20 fatalities daily.
The survey also found that 57.6 percent of drivers flout traffic rules, 11.9 percent ignore traffic lights, 33 percent do not use the seatbelt and 40.3 percent exceed the specified speed limit.
A good 92 percent of people who participated in the survey called for urgent action to strictly implement rules to reduce accidents, while 91.2 percent emphasized the need for a good public transportation system to ease congestion on the roads and reduce accidents.
The survey interviewed 821 people, aged 15 years and above, in different regions of the Kingdom.
Ahmed Radwan, a professor of sociology at the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, told Arab News that there is an urgent need to take strict action against drivers who violate traffic regulations.
“The survey has confirmed that more awareness campaigns on traffic regulations need to be organized,” he said.
The absence of a public transportation system in the Kingdom is behind the increasing number of road accidents, he added.
The Kingdom witnesses about 1,400 traffic accidents daily, resulting in 20 deaths and 35 disabilities, according to statistics released by a campaign last month.
The revelation comes as a surprise because the traffic police’s pleas against talking on the phone while driving, which is among the main causes of accidents, seem to be falling on deaf ears.
Saudi Arabia enjoys the dubious distinction of leading the chart of accidental deaths in the world, with 20 fatalities daily.
The survey also found that 57.6 percent of drivers flout traffic rules, 11.9 percent ignore traffic lights, 33 percent do not use the seatbelt and 40.3 percent exceed the specified speed limit.
A good 92 percent of people who participated in the survey called for urgent action to strictly implement rules to reduce accidents, while 91.2 percent emphasized the need for a good public transportation system to ease congestion on the roads and reduce accidents.
The survey interviewed 821 people, aged 15 years and above, in different regions of the Kingdom.
Ahmed Radwan, a professor of sociology at the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, told Arab News that there is an urgent need to take strict action against drivers who violate traffic regulations.
“The survey has confirmed that more awareness campaigns on traffic regulations need to be organized,” he said.
The absence of a public transportation system in the Kingdom is behind the increasing number of road accidents, he added.
The Kingdom witnesses about 1,400 traffic accidents daily, resulting in 20 deaths and 35 disabilities, according to statistics released by a campaign last month.
No comments:
Post a Comment