Boom and Bust

Economic prosperity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has spawned not only more traffic, but more traffic deaths. In this article, the author describes efforts to improve traffic safety throughout Saudi Arabia. The World Bank forecasts that road deaths between 2000 and 2020 in the Middle East and North Africa will increase by 68 percent. In Saudi Arabia in 2006 there were 283,648 road accidents, resulting in 5,883 fatalities and 35,884 injuries; in Riyadh, 30 percent of those fatalities were pedestrians. High accident fatality rates can be explained by the country’s economic growth and urban expansion, high family income that makes possible private car ownership, and the high number of young drivers. Three years ago, nine percent of all vehicular accidents were caused by young people under 17 years of age, who are not permitted to drive. To tackle such high rates, the Ministry of Transport has implemented a centralized Area Traffic Management System and remote CCTV cameras operation for traffic surveillance. Digital recording devices will identify license plate numbers. Those caught speeding or running red lights will be automatically issued fines.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/35183091
• Authors:
  • Saleh, Ali
• Publication Date: 2007-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: pp 60-61
• Serial:
  • ITS International
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Route One Publishing Limited
  • ISSN: 1463-6344
  • Serial URL: http://www.itsinternational.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advanced traffic management systems; Intelligent transportation systems; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety
• Geographic Terms: Saudi Arabia
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01091130
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 2008 8:05AM