“Do not end your life in an accident”, an awareness campaign launched by MoI
The Ministry of Interior has launched the second countrywide Traffic Awareness Campaign.
The three-month drive themed “Don’t end your life in an accident” aims at creating a sense of awareness among all segments of the society, to curb the ensuing impacts of traffic accidents.
“The campaign is being organized as part of the traffic sector’s initiatives to enlighten different segments of the society to curb traffic accidents, especially those where pedestrians are run over by speeding vehicles, resulting in death, injuries and material damages,” said Brigadier Ghaith Hassan Al Zaabi, Director-General of Traffic Coordination at the Ministry of Interior.
He said: “It also symbolized the strategy of the ministry which emanates from the federal government strategy and the directives of our higher leadership to reach the utmost levels of traffic safety for all users of the road. Each and every member in the society should shoulder responsibility towards himself and others, and everybody should bear part of contribution to curb accidents, which result in serious effects claiming lives of our youth and cause serious injuries as well as material losses and psychological effects on the families of the victims and the society which loses one of its important elements, due to negligence and recklessness.
The campaign is meant for all segments of the society as the Ministry has already contacted many local and federal government departments, pubic interest associations, schools and universities. The Ministry called on them to cooperate with the departments of traffic and licensing in the country to boost traffic education and awareness and carry out serious proposals which serve the traffic and alert those concerned over traffic on the points of defects and the mechanisms to address them.
Citing figures released by the Traffic Coordination Department at the Ministry of Interior, Brigadier Ghaith Hassan Al Zaabi, Director-General of Traffic Coordination at the Ministry of Interior, said: traffic accidents happened due to three major factors, which are humans, motor vehicle and the road, with the former as top culprit.
Non-adherence to lane discipline by drivers top the reasons which led to death in accidents, which totaled 30, while those injured as a result of such offences are 291. Not leaving safe distance is also a reason for deaths as it led to the death of 21 and injury to 393. Over speeding led to 20 deaths and 67 injuries. While jumping red traffic signal caused the death of nine persons and injury of 251 persons in separate road accidents while reckless driving led to the death of nine people and injuries to 68. This is beside other reasons which led to many traffic accidents.
“The campaign will be launched through print media, radio and TV as well as online. A number of officials will address the public on media organizations in episodes of forums and educate them on how to abide by traffic rules and the law,” he added