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Hisham Aljundi
Doha
Qatar has one of the lowest rate of fatalities in road accidents in the world, thanks to the National Road Safety Strategy, according to a recent road safety report.
Data from the General Directorate of Traffic showed a significant decrease in the number of road fatalities and injuries in 2017 as compared to 2016.
"Qatar has an average mortality rate in road accidents of 5.4 per 100,000 persons, while the international rate is 17.4 deaths per 100,000 persons," Brigadier Ibrahim Saad al Sulaiti, Head of Statistical Analysis at the Office of the Minister of Interior, said at a press conference conducted by the General Directorate of Traffic and other entities in Doha on Monday.
The mortality rate in road accidents in the high income countries was 9.2 per 100,000 persons.
Brigadier Mohammed Saad al Kharji, Director General of the General Directorate of Traffic, said the department has made significant progress in reducing road accident fatalities and injuries."The traffic indicators achieved in 2017 were the result of a number of measures such as traffic awareness, road traffic control, driver qualification, test development and vehicle inspection."
"Over-speeding and lack of commitment to seat belt laws were the main causes of road accident mortality," he said.
Irrespective of the 5 percent increase in number of vehicles in 2017 compared to 2016, accidents resulting in injuries declined by 1.3 percent, serious injuries by 14.8 percent and fatalities by 0.6 percent.
According to the report, the total number of accidents leading to injuries in 2017 were 6,061, serious injuries 743 and deaths 177.
In 2017, the number of accidents declined by 2.4 percent while 97.5 percent of the 240,333 accidents reported in 2017 did not cause injuries.
