Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia has been developing at a tremendous rate. The investment into the oil industry by the government of Saudi Arabia has been the primary reason for the rapid development in the region. On the downside however, there has been a significant increase in the number of road accidents occurring in the capital city. This blog delves deeper in the statistics of the motor vehicle accidents, and the resulting causalities in Riyadh.
The city of Riyadh witnesses lower motor accidents, but higher causalities than nearby Kuwait. Vehicle ownership is on the rising trend in the developing world, in fact the recent trends have suggested that it is possible for vehicle ownership to double in a span of few years. This has led to road traffic accidents to become a major epidemic in the developing world. Traffic accidents are no less than an epidemic, and statistical analysis of such an epidemic is the need of the hour.
Road accidents can be caused by human error, environmental factors, or vehicle malfunction. A report released showcases how human error is partially or completely responsible for almost 85% of road accidents. This means vehicular malfunction, or environmental factors play a minor role in causing road accidents. Motor vehicle accidents have become a cause of growing concern in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Also, the region has strict regulations against intoxicants, so the usage of alcohol or drugs leading to vehicular accidents is highly unlikely.
Vehicle ownership has significantly increased in recent times. The reasons cited for the exponential increase in vehicle ownership is due to the low cost of fuels like petrol. On an average there are 0.89 cars per person, and 1.9 cars for each family in Riyadh. 82% of cars involved in a road accident were diagnosed to be in good condition. Also, 38% of drivers involved in an accident did not have a driving license. A general disregard for penalties being imposed by authorities is the primary reason for people driving without a valid license.
Currently there is a 10-30 day imprisonment or a fine of up to 1,000 Saudi Riyals imposed on violators. Riyadh is a rapidly developing metropolitan, and so the challenges of regulating traffic is monumental. The increase in vehicle ownership has caused traffic congestion, and it has a detrimental effect resulting in road accidents and fatalities. The tax structure and low price of fuels means that vehicle ownership will only increase in the years to come.
However, a recent report suggests that despite an increase in vehicle registrations, there is a decline in the magnitude of road accidents in Riyadh. The accident rates of equally developed and corresponding areas like Kuwait tend to be higher than Riyadh. But, the casualty rates in Riyadh have been more than those recorded in Kuwait. Fatality rates in Riyadh are more than double of those recorded in Kuwait.
Almost 60% of all accidents occurring in Riyadh were due to excess speed. Another 18% were cited due to disobeying traffic rules. Drugs, and alcohol are reported to be the cause for a mere 0.2% of all accidents occurring in Riyadh. Almost 80% of road accidents were because of a crash, and 10% of all accidents involved pedestrians. Overturning accounts for 5% of all crashes, and other causes resulted in the remainder of motoring accidents.
It is reported that drivers aged between 31-40 years were responsible for most of these accidents, accounting for almost 40% of all accidents reported in the region. Drivers aged between 41-50 accounted for 30% vehicular accidents. The highest number of accidents of almost 16% were recorded on Saturdays, followed by 15% on Wednesday. Married drivers were responsible for 65% of all crashes.
Measures like imposing speed limits, introduction of traffic education into the general curriculum, awareness through mass media such as radio, T.V, and other sources could lead to a higher awareness about this grievous issue. Road designers ought to use the highest of safety measures, and the usage of sign boards and instruction to road users could prove to be fruitful and reduce the consequences of motor accidents in Riyadh.
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