State of the Market: Road

Safety in the Middle East

Copyright 2015 IQPC Middle East. All rights reserved.

Produced by IQPC Middle East in association with the 4th Annual ITS & Road Safety Forum Qatar taking place in September 2015 in Doha, Qatar.

The WHO framework

for devising initiatives
which improve road
safety uses the Safe
Systems Approach as
a core guiding principle.

2 ROAD SAFETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

State of the Market: Road

Safety in the Middle East

increase in the number of vehicles

registered in the city.2

According to the World Health

Organisation (WHO) more than 3000
people die every day as the result
of a road traffic collision, amounting
to almost 1.3 million deaths per
year. When added to the tens of
thousands who are seriously injured
in such accidents on a daily basis,
this represents a tragic loss of life
and also a significant decrease in
the quality of life for the survivors
and their loved ones. Along with the
human loss, the WHO estimates the
annual cost of motor vehicle crashes
at between 1-3% of the respective
GDP of each of the worlds countries,
totalling a staggering $500 billion
each year.1

Despite the differing levels of

progress being experienced across
the region, increasing road safety
through development and awareness
initiatives is evidently a top priority
at the governmental and business
enterprise levels.

In the specific cases of many

countries, road accident deaths
and injuries have been rising due
to rapid increases in motorisation
without sufficient improvement in
road safety strategies and effective
land use planning. As a region
that is growing and urbanising
more quickly than global norms,
the governments and transport
authorities of the Middle East have a
heightened interest in tackling road
safety effectively.
The political will to improve road
safety isnt lacking in the Middle East
and this has already translated into
proactive legislation and campaigning
in many of the regions countries.
However, actual progress in reducing
road accidents remains mixed, due
to myriad economic and cultural
factors. In Qatar road accidents have
been the cause of approximately
220 deaths and 550 seriously
injuries each year since 2008, having
reached a plateau after the sharp
yearly increases of 2000-2007. In
Dubai there were 115 deaths and
584 non-minor injuries last year, a
slight increase from 2013. Last year
Abu Dhabi enjoyed an 18% fall in
road accident deaths despite a 17%

2011-2020: WHO Decade of

Action for Road Safety
Launched globally on 11 May 2011,
the Decade of Action for Road
Safety is the WHOs international
call to action to reduce road traffic
collisions and thereby stabilise and
subsequently decrease the death
toll being incurred across the worlds
road networks.
The WHO framework for devising
initiatives which improve road safety
uses the Safe Systems Approach
as a core guiding principle. The
approach aims to develop a road
transport system that is better able
to accommodate human error and
the realisation that traffic accidents
cannot be completely avoided.
Ultimately, the goal of a safe system
is to not only reduce accidents but
also ensure that accidents which do
occur result in minimal human injury.
Therefore, road users, vehicles and
the road network/environment are
addressed in an integrated manner,
through a wide range of interventions,
with greater attention to speed
management and vehicle and road
design than in traditional approaches
to road safety.
__________________________________________________________

World Health Organisation, Decade of Action

for Road Safety 2011-2020, p4

Gulf News, Abu Dhabi road deaths fall by

nearly 20%, 07/11/2014

This holistic and integrated approach

has resonated with the governments
and transport authorities of Middle
Eastern states that are trying to
alleviate the impact of the rising
motorisation of their populations.
This is particularly apparent in the
case of Qatar, as the framework of
the Qatar National Road Safety
Strategy 2013-2022 is explicitly
built around the Safe Systems
principles of collaboration and the
shared responsibility of a wide range
of organisations. This requires road
authorities and operators, emergency
services, legislators, vehicle
manufactures, licensing and testing
authorities, educationalists and NGOs
to work together in order to tackle
road safety.3

Seatbelts usage or rather the lack

of it remains a critical safety issue
across the Middle East. In Qatar,
front seat occupants of vehicles are
estimated to have a seatbelt wearing
rate of around 50%. In addition,
children are disproportionally
represented on annual road accident
statistics because laws are not yet in
place requiring passengers in the rear
seats to use seatbelts. Unrestrained
children are a common sight on
the roads in Qatar which has led
to high priority legislation is being
processed to change the laws, along
with stricter enforcement tools (harsh
fines, etc) and national campaigns to
improve knowledge and awareness
of the benefits of seatbelts and child
restraints.5

This approach is a fundamental

influence of many initiatives
currently being undertaken by said
organisations in Qatar and across
the Middle East in order to improve
road safety by addressing the four
following pillars:

Commercial companies are a vital

partner in raising awareness of safety
issues too. Alfardan Automobiles
Qatars BMW Group importer in
Qatar offered complimentary child
booster seats for children aged 6-11
in support of the recent GCC Traffic
Week.6 Similarly, Qatargas is routinely
highlighted as a company committed
to spreading road safety awareness
as part of its corporate social
responsibility programme. Their many
awareness initiatives include the use
of roll-over accident simulators to
highlight the life-saving properties of
seatbelts.7

Safer Road Users

First and foremost, safety always
begins with a seatbelt. Everyone
in the vehicle should always be
buckled up. Second, despite the best
technology, it is important for drivers
to always remain alert behind the
wheel. In some parts of our region
more than half of all traffic accidents
are caused by people using their
mobile to text and talk while driving.
Jim Benintende, President of Ford
Motor Company Middle East & Africa
As the Safe Systems approach
explains, its impossible to entirely
discount human error and the
possibility of accidents occurring.
However, through education and
awareness campaigns backed
with clear and properly enforced
legislation, it is possible to create
safer road users who are more
competent drivers, compliant with
traffic laws and less liable to cause
accidents.

__________________________________________________________

World Health Organisation, Decade of Action

for Road Safety 2011-2020, pp7-9

First and foremost,

safety always begins
with a seatbelt.
Everyone in the
vehicle should always
be buckled up.
Second, despite the
best technology, it is
important for drivers
to always remain alert
behind the wheel. In
some parts of our region
more than half of all
traffic accidents are
caused by people using
their mobile to text and
talk while driving.
Jim Benintende, President of
Ford Motor Company Middle East
& Africa

Qatar National Traffic Safety Committee,

National Road Safety Strategy 2013-2022,
pp15-17

Ibid, p32

Zawya, Alfardan Automobiles urges drivers to

buckle up, 17/03/2015

Qatargas, Road safety awareness campaigns

ROAD SAFETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Safer Roads
The design of a road plays a vital
role in determining the number and
severity of crashes that occur along
it. Simple, clear and self-explaining
road design helps drivers know
exactly where to go without the kind
of confusion which often causes
accidents to occur. Additionally,
forgiving road design means that
should a crash scenario occur, the
outcome is less likely to be fatal or
serious to those involved.
To achieve these goals, Qatars public
works authority Ashghal has awarded
contracts of $164.8 million to improve
roads across the kingdom in a variety
of ongoing infrastructure upgrades.
Crash barriers will be used along the
medians of high speed roads, poor
intersection layout will be improved
with clearer markings and signage
and crosswalks will be introduced in
areas where pedestrians are currently
forced to interact with high-speed
traffic.8

Qatars public works

authority Ashghal has
awarded contracts of
$164.8 million to improve
roads across the
kingdom in a variety of
ongoing infrastructure
upgrades.

Qatars rural roads and highways will

receive safety improvement attention
alongside the busier roads of Doha
and other built-up urban areas.

Safer Vehicle Standards

Ford Motors demonstrated its

support of the ongoing road safety
improvement efforts of the GCC
by attending its 31st Annual Traffic
Week in mid-March 2015. At the
event, Jim Benintende, President of
Ford Motor Company Middle East
& Africa highlighted the companys
commitment to protecting motorists
by raising vehicle safety standards
through innovative systems and
technologies. These include inflatable
seat belts, roll stability control, lane
departure warning, trailer sway
control, adaptive cruise control with
collision warning and BLIS - blind
spot information system with crosstraffic alert.10
__________________________________________________________

Doha News, Ashghal commissions QR600M in

Qatar road safety upgrades, 30/08/2014

ITS Arab, Speed-monitoring devices to put

brakes on traffic violations, 29/06/2014

Gulf Times, Ford joins campaign for safe

driving at GCC Traffic Week, 13/03/2015

10

As well as improving the safety

awareness of motorists, the Safe
Systems approach calls for the
leveraging of new technology to
create advanced safety features for
new and existing vehicles while also
encouraging vehicle manufacturers
to include basic features such as
multiple airbags and side-impact
protection on their cheaper models.
In addition, ME governments are
actively trying to introduce more
demanding minimum vehicle safety
standards.
For example, last year a new set of
safety regulations was approved
for the GCC region which makes it
obligatory for all transport companies

4 ROAD SAFETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

to equip their vehicles with devices

that monitor speed and traffic
violations. Heavy vehicle drivers
will be required to log their hours of
driving and rest periods to ensure that
they will not work continuously for 8
hours and that they will rest for next 8
hours before resuming driving.9

Safer Speeds
Under ideal conditions, vehicles
will travel at speeds that suit the
function and the level of safety of
the road to minimise the frequency
of collisions and the damage caused
by such occurrences. This requires
legal authorities to set appropriate
speed limits which are then effectively
enforced and supplemented by
education initiatives such as
advertising campaigns.
In Qatar, recent awareness
campaigns sought to highlight
that crashes caused by reckless
driving and/or excessive speed are
particularly severe, with over 40% of
these involving a fatality and more
than a third of such crashes involving
a vehicle over-turning.
Dubais Speed Kills campaign
is another example of awareness
initiatives launched in the last
year which produced tangible
results including the recording of
thousands of speeding breaches, the
dissemination of 50,000 awarenessraising booklets and the fining of
30,000 jaywalkers who routinely risk
their lives when crossing busy, highspeed roads.11
As with all elements of road safety
improvement, the support of
commercial companies can only
help heighten awareness and aid
participation among the public
motorists. In Oman, Sohar Port and
Freezone Chief Executive Andre
Toet announced the logistics hubs
endorsement of last years GCC
Traffic Week:

The company conducted its own

Sohar Safer Driving Week campaign
in December 2014 which encouraged
awareness of abiding by road speed
limits as well as seminars and handson activities based around improving
the safety of motorist behaviour
through assessing the impact of
mobile phone use, seatbelt use, load
safety for commercial vehicles and
other significant safety factors.
As a contributor to road traffic, our
responsibility is clear and we have
been encouraged by the positive
response we received during Sohar
Safer Driving Week. We cannot
prevent accidents, but the risks
posed by traffic accidents, and
our ability to reduce that risk, is
something that we all share. Toets
conclusion aptly summarises the
importance of company participation
in the safety initiatives devised by
ME government departments and
transport authorities.
__________________________________________________________

The National, Dubais Speed Kills campaign

sheds light on thousands of traffic incidences,
16/12/2014

11

GCC driving week aims

to highlight the dangers
of road traffic accidents
and inspire advocates
for road safety from
within communities
across Oman. We fully
support this and other
important initiatives like
it, and encourage people
to learn about the role
they can play in making
Omans roads safer,
Andre Toet, Chief Executive,
Sohar Port and Freezone

GCC driving week aims to highlight

the dangers of road traffic accidents
and inspire advocates for road safety
from within communities across
Oman. We fully support this and
other important initiatives like it, and
encourage people to learn about the
role they can play in making Omans
roads safer,

ROAD SAFETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Tackling Road Traffic

Accidents Collectively: the
Safe Systems Approach in
Action
Many parts of the Middle East have
already experienced success in
stabilising and even decreasing their
annual road traffic fatality and serious
injury rates. However, the region still
maintains one of the highest traffic
accident rates in the world, meaning
that theres a long way to go to
fundamentally improve road safety
as more vehicles pile onto its road
networks every year.

Commitment to the
Safe Systems approach
is inherently evident in
the ongoing road safety
strategies of countries
within the GCC and the
Middle East as a whole.

Investment in road network

infrastructure and vehicle design is
one area which is providing a longterm improvement in road safety.
Safer vehicle design continually
protects drivers while encouraging the
development of even more advanced
safety features. The efforts to make
ME roads more forgiving and easier to
navigate will yield similarly long-term
gains. The emphatic endorsement of
vehicle manufacturers and transport
employers of initiatives like the GCC
Traffic Week highlight that such
positive partnerships to aid safety
collaboration are already in place.
Unfortunately, changing driving
habits and cultural norms for the
better requires a great deal of
time, resources and educational
investment. Human error and driving
indiscipline still form a major part of
the problem in regards to annual ME
road traffic collisions.
The safety benefits of wearing a
seatbelt, utilising child booster seats,
hands-free mobile technology and
so on need to be broadcasted widely
and repeatedly through ongoing
educational and awareness initiatives.
Recent efforts clearly demonstrate
that both the ME government and
private sectors are enthusiastically
engaged in this policy but some of
the notions being championed are
still relatively new to their intended

6 ROAD SAFETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

audiences. Rather than undermining

these safety awareness initiatives, any
resistance or apathy towards them
displayed by the public highlights
their essential importance. Their
successes can only be reinforced
by reinforcing the message itself,
repeating it loudly and clearly until
driving attitudes and habits change
accordingly.
Commitment to the Safe Systems
approach is inherently evident in the
ongoing road safety strategies of
countries within the GCC and the
Middle East as a whole. Persisting
in this holistic approach means that
there remain abundant opportunities
for the involvement of commercial
companies looking to help improve
road safety at the personal, vehicular
or infrastructural level.

Sources:
http://www.salamtek.org/pdfs/NRSS_Eng.pdf
http://www.who.int/roadsafety/decade_of_action/plan/en/
http://www.who.int/roadsafety/decade_of_action/plan/plan_english.
pdf?ua=1
http://www.thenational.ae/uae/transport/small-increase-in-dubai-roaddeath-toll
https://www.qatargas.com/English/SafetyAndEnvironment/Pages/
campaign.aspx
http://www.ashghal.gov.qa/en/mediahub/news/pages/national-roadsafety-strategy-launched.aspx#.VQq_QI6sVBZ
http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/article-10502-abu-dhabi-roaddeaths-fall-by-nearly-20/
http://dohanews.co/ashghal-eyes-qr600m-qatar-road-safety-upgrades/
http://www.thenational.ae/uae/transport/dubais-speed-kills-campaignsheds-light-on-thousands-of-traffic-incidences
http://www.gulf-times.com/qatar/178/details/430777/ford-joinscampaign-for-safe-driving-at-gcc-traffic-week

ROAD SAFETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

To find out more about the latest in Intelligent Transportation Systems in the Middle East,
dont miss the 4th Annual ITS & Road Safety Forum Qatar (8-9 September 2015, Doha,
Qatar) developed with input from the regions key project stakeholders including Ashghal,
National Committee for Traffic Safety Qatar, Atkins, Parsons Brinckerhoff, COWI and more.
Visit www.itsroadsafetyqatar.com for more information.

Copyright 2015 IQPC Middle East. All rights reserved.

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8 ROAD SAFETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST