literature revised)

8/3/2019 Literature Revised)

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[Type the document title]Literature Review: Road Traffic

Accidents

9/17/2011Student Name:University:


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2Literature Review: Road Traffic Accidents

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION TO ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ................................... ........................... ....... 4

Safety ........................... ........................... ........................... ........................... ........................... ........... 4

Safety of Roads .................... ........................... ........................... ........................... ........................... .. 4

Safety condition of Vehicles ....................... ........................... ........................... ........................... ....... 5

Road Traffic Accidents .......................... ........................... ........................... ........................... ........... 5

Major Causes of Road Traffic Accidents ............................................... ........................... ................ 7

Improper maintenance of vehicle .................................................................................................... 8

Red Light Running.......................................................................................................................... 9

Use of Mobile Phones while driving.............................................................................................. 10

Drunk driving................................................................................................................................ 11

Avoiding Seat Belt or Helmets....................................................................................................... 11

Youth races and careless driving................................................................................................... 11

Improper road structure ................................................................................................................ 12

Effects of Traffic Accidents ................... ........................... ........................... ........................... ......... 13

Social Impacts of Road Traffic Accidents ..................................................................................... 13

Economic Impacts of Road Traffic Accidents ............................................................................... 14

Ways for controlling the traffic accidents ........................ ........................... ........................... ......... 14

INTRODDUCTION INTO THE CEASES OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN JEDDAH CITY ......... 18

History of the problem in Saudi Arabia ........................... ........................... ........................... ......... 18

The Roads and Public Transport in Saudi Arabia ....................... ........................... ....................... 19

The causes of the Road Traffic Accidents in Saudi Arabia .......................................... .................. 19

The effects of the Road Traffic Accidents in Saudi Arabia .......................................... .................. 20

Jeddah City .......................... ........................... ........................... ........................... ........................... 22

Population..................................................................................................................................... 22

Economy ....................................................................................................................................... 22

Society........................................................................................................................................... 22

Road &Traffic Laws in Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) ........................ ........................... ....................... 23

THE USED METHDOLGIES AND ANALYSIS OF DATA ........................................... .................. 23

The different used methodologies for gathering the data ................................................. .............. 23

Analysis of international data ......................... ........................... ........................... ........................... 24

Analysis Middle East data .......................... .......................... ........................... ........................... ..... 27


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Analysis Saudi Arabia and Jeddah data ................. ........................... ........................... .................. 28

CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION ......................... .......................... ........................... .............. 29

REFERENCES ........................ ........................... ........................... ........................... ........................... 31


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Literature Review

INTRODUCTION TO ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

Safety

According to Security Industry Association (SIA 160), safety is defined as;

Adequate safety with respect to a hazard is ensured provided that the hazard is kept

under control by appropriate measures or the risk is limited to an acceptable value.

Absolute safety is not achievable. (Schneider, 1997)

According to Wildavsky (1988), Safety is a protective measure to ensure the chances of

unfortunate incidents are kept at minimum. As the above definition identifies, it is not possible to

achieve an absolute safety level, however it can be assured that the risk of getting hurt is reduced by taking precautionary measures. Safety has become a common phenomenon and a word of

mouth in every aspect of life. Not only the man created acts of terrorism and violence have

increased the safety measures, but also the defense against the natural dangers and catastrophes

has highlighted the issue of safety. (Wildavsky, 1988)

Safety of Roads

The concept of safety appears at every place that has a potential to be injurious to the well being

of the users and Road is one of them. Ever since the evolution of mankind, the infrastructural

development has been improving to allow safe movement, better communication and luxurytravel. The development of road structures is a part of this need driven development of the social

infrastructural environment. However, the creation of smoother and wider roads has enabled the

traffic to move faster than before, leading to increased road accidents. Similarly, the burst of

vehicles on the roads has enhanced the incidents of unfortunate traffic accidents. (Marmot, and

Wilkinson, 2006)

Due to increasing number of vehicles on the road, the better and faster vehicles, hastiness of life,

and inconceivably higher instances of fatal road accidents, road safety has become a common

matter of interest for the policy makers around the world. According to the International

Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (International Federation) (2010), Roadsafety is one of the most crucial yet largely neglected public matters. In their action plan for year

2010-2011, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have

mentioned that the number of accidents on the road due to poor road safety conditions is causing

up to 1.3 million deaths every year. This is nearly 3000 fatalities every day, which is a highly

alarming count. The road accidents are killing as many people as the fatal disease like

tuberculosis and malaria and if the second and third world countries do not join hands with the


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developed regions to take serious safety measures in this regard, the death toll is likely to

increase by two times by 2020. (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent

Societies: International Federation, 2010)

Safety condition of Vehicles

There are many reasons for the road traffic accidents and poorly maintained cars and ignorance

of vehicle safety measures are significantly important among them. The vehicles being

machinery require continuous check up and maintenance in order to ensure that they are safe to

be taken on the road. Hartman, et.al (2000), in their research study of the commercial vehicle

safety in United States have concluded that there are bright chances of reducing the road traffic

accidents caused by vehicle failure or shortcoming. They have concluded that if the vehicle

manufacturers take into account the statistics of the road traffic accidents and facts about the

failure of vehicle performance and design causing them, they can determine the areas for

potential improvement in the design and manufacture of the upcoming models. According to

Karnopp (2004), the improvement of vehicle performance and increasing their safety feature is

one of the best ways to fight against the road traffic accidents. Karnopp believes that vehicle

safety should be determined by taking into account the safety features that the road users prefer

and require in order to keep them safe from road accidents and injuries. The prime focus of the

vehicle safety measure should not only be the prevention of the accident but also the reduction of

injury in case of road crash. According to the D.G Transport European Commission, (2009), if

every car out there on the road can provide the same level of crash safety that the superior and

luxurious models provide, the fatalities due to the road accidents can be reduced by half. This

means that vehicle safety alone can resolve half of the total road traffic accident problem. The

report by European Commission states that if the automobile industry gives the due focus toimpart of technological advancement into the vehicle safety features of the cars, the scenario of

traffic accidents would be different altogether.

Road Traffic Accidents

According to Bartley, (2008), until very recently, road traffic accidents were considered to be

caused by undeterminable and unpredictable factors. Therefore, there was no real effort made in

order to take control over them. This is the reason that the great attention that this matter has

attracted recently is considered by the international community as a late response. However, the

latest researches about the major causes of the road traffic accident and the basic factors involved

in it have opened ways for further discussion and analysis. According to Bartley, there are three

basic factors that are involved in a road traffic accident including the driver (and the passengers,

if any), the vehicle and the road. Any mishap that involves these three factors and which leads to

the damages to the driver (and the passengers, if any) and the vehicles is called as road traffic

accidents. The reason that road traffic accidents have become an issue in the limelight is because

they have been the cause of death and disabling injuries of millions of people around the world.


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According to a recommendation report issued by RO-SAT (ROad Strategy for Accidents in

Transport), a working group of experts within the Group of Experts appointed by the European

Commission (EC), in order to counsel the Commission on a Strategy to Deal with Accidents in

the Transport Sector; road traffic accidents can be controlled and reduced through:

Continuing discussions and opening a wider consultatation process at different levels(political, technical) on the opportunities that European action, including legislation,

could represent as a means to guarantee that important lessons and recommendations are

permanently obtained from road accident investigations across the EU. (Expert Group

on Accidents in the Transport Sector, 2008)

Another recommendation of this group of expert fully dedicated towards the study of road traffic

accidents is to promote the creation of independent group of experts within each member of the

commission that should be tasked with the investigation of the major causes of road traffic

accidents and the ways that they could be reduced. (Expert Group on Accidents in the Transport

Sector, 2008)

The group of experts appointed by the European Commission provided the following workflow

diagram that the independent group of experts should follow while researching the road traffic

incidents in their respective regions;

Source: (Expert Group on Accidents in the Transport Sector, 2008)


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The above workflow suggests that the Independent group of experts should have the right to

directly peep into the Practice (accidents) and obtain the first hand data, instead of relying over

the Criminal Enforcement or Administrative Enforcement to reach over the required data.

The step taken by EC in order to control the incidents of road traffic accidents is an exemplary

measure that can be taken by all the other countries, in order to create an international movementwith an aim to minimize the unfortunate loss of valuable human life as well as the damage to the

economy caused by the road accidents.

Major Causes of Road Traffic Accidents

The key focus of all the researchers and analysts working on the road traffic accidents has been

to determine the major reasons that cause them. The identification of the problem, i.e. the causes

of the accidents, will enable to eradicate the issue from within he roots. According to the various

researches the main reasons that cause the road accidents include the following;

y Improper maintenance of vehicley Red Light Runningy Use of Mobile Phones while drivingy Drunk drivingy Avoiding Seat Belt or Helmetsy Youth races and careless drivingy Improper road structure

The above mentioned are only some of the many reasons that lead to road accidents. (Porter,

2011)

The below graph is a depiction of how a driver connects with the environment and how this

connection can lead to severe accidents.


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Source: (Elslande, 2007)

Improper maintenance of vehicle

According to a report issued by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),

(2001), the improper maintenance of vehicle and failure to tire aging check up are among the

most common causes of road traffic accidents. The report identifies that approximately 6,000

people die annular in U.S only due to this negligence. The failure to maintain the tires has the

potential danger of causing tire burst of the vehicle at high speed over the roads. This can lead tohorrible accidents, leading to severe injuries and even death.

According to a research conducted by Barton and Blackwood (2004), brake failure is one of the

common reasons that lead to road traffic accidents. The research proved that a large majority of

people fail to comply with the occasional vehicle maintenance requirement and as a result, the

chance of brake failure rises. In their Police Fatal Accident study, Barton and Blackwood

identified that out of 24 cases of road accidents under the survey, 13 cases were such where the

vehicle had break defect before the time of accident. They revealed that in all these 13 cases the

drives were aware of the fault in the break system of the vehicle, however, showed negligence in

repairing the problem and continued driving the vehicle. In their research, Barton andBlackwood suggested that it is essential that the vehicle manufacturers should consider the

introduction of brake failure warning technology into the vehicles, so that the drivers are

continuously warned about the problem and forced to repair it on immediate basis.

The above analysis indicates that vehicle maintenance is one of the serious cassation factors for

road traffic accidents.


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Red Light Running

According to a report issued by Office of the Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives,

(Office of the Majority Leader U.S. House of Representatives, 2001) red light running is a

condition in which the driver neglects the red light of the traffic signal and runs the car through

it. The red single is a stop signal so that the traffic from the other sides of the road gets the wayto move in an organized manner. Running through the red light affects the organized movement

of the traffic from the other sides of the road, leading to severe accidents.

In order to prohibit the drivers from committing the offense of red light running, the Automated

Enforcement Programs have been initiated in more than 74 countries of the world. This system

captures the images of the of the signal violators through the fixed camera network, which can

later act as an evidence and tracking system against them. The introduction of this system is

however is very costly and installing an individual camera system might cost from $40,000 to

$75,000. (Urban Transportation, 1995)

The graph below shows the trend of violations per hour of the traffic signals during the days of

the week.

Source: (Highway Division of the Iowa Department of Transportation CTRE Management

Project 99-49, 2000)


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According to the graph above, the most usual instances of traffic signal violations occur during

the working days of the week from Monday to Friday with Tuesday and Wednesday having the

peak violations. (Highway Division of the Iowa Department of Transportation CTRE

Management Project 99-49, 2000)

Use of Mobile Phones while driving

There are various reasons that lead to the distraction of the drivers, which ultimately become a

cause for the fatal accidents. The distraction occurs when the drivers attentions sways away

from the road and into other factors. The following are some of the most common distraction

causing reasons for a driver;

y Tuning of the temperature of the cary Tuning the radio or CD playery Eating or drinking while drivingy Talking to the passengersy Smokingy Use of mobile phones (Stutts JC et al., 2001)

According to a research conducted in United Kingdom, 45% of the total drivers under the

selected population agreed that they send text messages while driving. (The RACC Foundation,

2008). Another similar research was conducted in Australia which revealed that one out of every

six people selected as the sample population used text messaging while driving. (Hosking S,

Young K, Regan M., 2007) A research was carried out in United States which also proved that

27% of the Americans reported that they have sent or read messages over the mobile phone

while driving their vehicles. The use of mobile phones leads increased reaction time while

driving. (Telstra, 2003)

There is a hot debate regarding the use of wireless phone devices against the cordless phones.

This argument tries to prove that since the wireless devices such as Bluetooth, allows the driver

to keep the hands free over the steering, the hazards of using mobile phone get reduced. Caird et

al., (2008), though their research have however, proved the above argument wrong. According to

them, there is no difference in the hazards caused by the use of mobile phones while driving

whether they require the aid of hands to be used or have a cordless device. The major hazard of

using mobile phones is that it distracts the focus of the drivers leading them away from the road.

According to them, the use of mobile phones has recently become a major cause of road

accidents around the world and this matter needs serious consideration by both the drivers as

well the traffic law enforcement authorities of the local regions. (Madden M, Rainie L., 2010)

(Leidschendam, 2008)


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Drunk driving

According to a report issued by World Health Organization (2007), on the use of alcohol as a

cause of accidents, it is stated that the consumption of alcohol while driving has become a major

obstacle to reduce the instances of road traffic accidents. Except the regions of the world where

alcohol is officially prohibited, the use of alcohol is among the main reasons of the road trafficaccidents. The consumption of alcohol causes dizziness in the driver due to which he/she fails to

give the required focus to the road. The use of alcohol causes loss of control over the steering or

the delayed judgment of the opposite traffic coming towards the vehicle, hence leading to

horrible collisions.

According to a research conducted in Spain by Alvarez, Del Rio and Prada, (1995), it was

revealed that more than 60% of the drivers agreed to be regular drinkers and among them, 25%

were those who drank at an alarming high quantity. The research proved that the majority of the

drivers consumed alcohol either while driving or immediately before it. The research found that

there were 145 such people who reported to consume alcohol during driving, while a large

majority agreed on consumes alcohol before driving. (Alvarez et.al., 1995)

Avoiding Seat Belt or Helmets

Seat belt is one of the most effective ways to remain protected in an event of vehicle crash. Seat

belt is one of the primary accident prevention features that the vehicle manufacturers around the

world have provided to the drivers. The use of seat belt reduces the effect of shock and keeps the

body stable in case of a jolt caused by accident. The usage of seat belts has become a part of

traffic law in almost every region of the world. (Zaza et al. 2001)

As proved in their research study, Sacks, Holmgreen, Smith and Sosin (1991), consider the use

of helmet is also one of the most effective ways to keep the head safe in case of an accident on

motor bikes and bicycles. As motor bikes and bicycles are two wheel drives, the danger of

accidents is greater in their drive as compared to four and more wheel drives.

The avoidance of seat belts has been found to be one of the common reasons to severe injuries

and deaths in road traffic accidents. According to United Kingdom Department for Transport,

(2003), the consequences of road traffic accidents would not have been very severe if the drivers

had used the seat belts or helmet as a proper preventative measure.

Youth races and careless driving

As per a report issued by World Health Organization, (2002), young people are the most affected

from the road traffic accidents. The report identifies that in more than 30% of the total road

traffic accident injuries, the affected are people below the age of 25 years. Moreover, among the

total of 383,046 deaths caused by road accidents during 2002, more than half were of people


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from African and South- East Asia Regions. However, the highest figures of road traffic

causalities among young people are noticed in African and the Eastern Mediterranean regions.

Source: (WHO, 2002)

The report also clarifies that the major reasons that make the youngsters the prime victim of road

traffic accidents is that they are reckless in their driving and prefer high speed driving. The

higher the speed of the vehicle, the more difficult it gets to control it and therefore any small

mistake can lead to horrible consequences. In order to control this problem, the technology has

been called for to develop such a system within the upcoming as well as the existing vehicles

that can automatically detect the recommended speed limits of the roads and maintain the speed

of the automobile accordingly. Such a system which is called as Intelligent Speed Adaptation,

is an intelligent approach towards the mitigation of the problem of over speeding among theyoung drivers. (WHO, 2002)

Improper road structure

The structure and quality of road is one of the best ways to reduce the road traffic accidents.

Improper road structure and undue blockages due to wrecked or imbalanced road is among the


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cause of road traffic accidents. In order to control this problem, the Road Safety Audit (RSA)

was initiated during 1990s in United Kingdom. Appreciating the guidelines of this system, it was

gradually spread into the entire world and many countries adopted the guidelines and made it a

statutory requirement to be followed. The main essence of this system is that the construction

process of a road right from the inception till the final completion should be continuously

checked and audited by an independent group of experts. These experts ensure the quality of the

construction and put forward their recommendations in case of any shortcomings. The process

got inducted into the road construction industry of United Kingdom due to the increasing

incidents of road traffic accidents caused by poorly constructed road. (Hirasawa, et.al., 2005)

The introduction and acceptance of Road Safety Audit (RSA) throughout the world is an

indication of the measure taken by the authorities to increase the drive safety and friendliness of

the roads.

Effects of Traffic Accidents

The consequences of road traffic accidents are very serious in terms of both social as well

economic impacts. The way and the extent by which the world suffers losses due these accidents

are identified below;

Social Impacts of Road Traffic Accidents

There is a very minimal research in the identification of the social impacts of road traffic

accidents as the major portion of the research studies in this field aim to identify and focus on the

economic impacts only. However, the research that has been done in this area has proved that

road traffic accidents badly affect the social lives of the affected people. Those who are directlyaffected by these accidents are the drivers and the passengers who get severely injured or even

die. The research study conducted by Mitchell, (1997) proves that a large number of the people

involved in road traffic accidents suffer from life lasting disabilities. The major injuries caused

by road accidents include broken bones, injuries to head, brain and even the disc slips. All of

these injuries are extremely fatal. The disabilities caused by the road accidents lead to the

destruction of the entire career of the individual who then gets dependent upon others in his/her

daily life chores. The others who also suffer from road accidents are the family members of the

affected person. A person dying in a road accident leaves behind the dependants. Due to being

the only or the major earning hand, a person suffering from disabling injuries in road accidents,

fails to earn anymore and as a result the entire family has to go through a difficult time. The loss

of important lives is definitely a big social dilemma that the societies have to face. Even the

economical impacts due to these accidents directly impact the social lives of the people. (Axup,

1988)

According to a research, the number of working years lost due to the road accidents is a major

problem for the society as well as the economy of the regions. The research indicates that along


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with fatal diseases such as typhoid, malaria, respiratory and circulatory diseases, road traffic

accidents is one major reason for the loss of working years of the affected people. (Ghee, and

Astrop, 1997) As already discussed, young people are the most affected group of society by road

traffic accidents. Losing a young one in an accident or a child getting disabled for the rest of the

life due to a road accident is a bitter fact that the society has to swallow. (Axup, 1988)

Economic Impacts of Road Traffic Accidents

The economies of the countries have been badly affected by the road traffic accidents. As

mentioned above, a large proportion of the affected people from road accidents have to face to

long lasting injuries of life time disabilities. These people fail to continue the normal routines of

their lives including their jobs or businesses. Therefore, the economic loss of the individuals

when taken in total becomes a huge sum. The entire world has to bear this economic loss. The

cost of treatment of the patients of road accidents is also another economic loss to the

individuals. The cost of medical expenses varies from region to region, however overall these

expenses add up to make a big amount. Moreover, the permanent disabilities of the patients lead

to the disturbance of the economic stability of the entire family. The funeral expenses incurred

on the deaths of people in the road accidents is another major economic expense. Another

damage that is caused by the road traffic accidents is the loss of labor. The people affected by the

traffic accidents belong to different fields of life contributing their parts in the economic stability

of the regions. The damages to the vehicle are another major economic loss to the people. The

purchase of vehicle is not easy for the lower to middle class families and they spend a major

portion of their savings to buy a vehicle. Even if the human life is saved in an accident, the

vehicle is always likely to receive damages from the accident. Therefore, this causes a major loss

to the car owners, who have to face big amounts to repair their vehicles. (Richmund, M., et.al.2005)

Ways for controlling the traffic accidents

Thousands of lives are lost daily due to road traffic accidents. The affected are usually the

drivers, but can also include anyone passing by the road, children playing on the roads,

construction crew working on the road side, children passing the road after their school, etc.

Millions of people have to spend months of their lives in hospital after suffering a road accident,

many get disabled for lifetime and several have to live with deep bruises on their body or with a

long lasting health problem. Road traffic accident has become a global dilemma and that is why,

it has recently received a great focus worldwide. According to the former Prime Minister of

Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra:

The problem of road traffic injuries is indeed a highly serious one, but it is also a

problem that can be dealt with and prevented through concerted action among all the

parties concerned. Through the leadership and strong commitment of the Government,


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we are confident that we will be successful in our efforts and we hope that others will be

as well. (Aeron-Thomas et al., 2002)

Besides great attention taken by this issue, it is considered that the current efforts are minimal in

comparison to the increasing miseries that it is causing. A report has been published by World

Health Organization in collaboration with World Bank that aims to identify the most effectivemeans of preventing and reducing the road traffic accidents. The report initially identifies the

magnitude of suffering that road traffic accidents has been causing and through a step wise

approach, details the most effective ways that this problem can be controlled. The report was

produced in collaboration with more than 100 experts from all around the world, representing

their respective field of expertise including engineering, health, education, police, civil society,

transport as well road construction industry. Responding to the effectiveness of the

recommendations made in the report, the President of Republic of Kenya; Mwai Kibaki has

stated that:

I urge all nations to implement the recommendations of the World report on road traffic

injury prevention as a guide to promoting road safety in their countries. With this tool in

hand, I look forward to working with my colleagues in health, transport, education and

other sectors to more fully address this major public health problem. (Aeron-Thomas et

al., 2002)

According to the report, the prevention of road traffic accidents is not only the responsibility of

the government; rather there are many parties who can together play a great role in controlling

this issue. These parties are shown in the diagram below;

Source: (Aeron-Thomas et al., 2002)


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Government and Legislative Bodies

Whenever there is a problem faced by the society, the government is where all the expectations

get centered. This is because people create governments so that it can solve their problems and

create a better and safer place for living. Therefore, the governments have a direct responsibility

to take reasonable and immediate steps in order to control the road traffic accidents. The policymakers need to create policies, programs and plans for prevention of road traffic accidents and

allocate budgets accordingly. It is considered to be more productive to create separate

government agency that is given a reasonable control and power over decision making and

budget utilization related to road safety programs and procedures. There are various obvious

examples of such organizations such as the United States National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) and Swedish National Road Administration (SNRA). These

organizations are given the resources as well as the authority by their respective governments in

order to create effective road safety policies. (Aeron-Thomas et al., 2002)

Media

Media is considered to be one of the main pillars of a society. Media has been playing a very

positive role in the creation of awareness and concern among the people about the increasing

problems around them. The majority of road traffic accidents occur due to lack of care while

driving, using alcohol and drugs and the violation of traffic rules. The best way to control over

these factors is to realize to the people how dangerous the above mentioned factors are and how

can they be avoided. Media has the major role to play in creating this public awareness and

bombarding the minds of the people with the dangerous impacts of using drugs and alcohol and

the serious consequences that violation of traffic rules can lead to. (Elder et al., 2007)

Professionals

Prevention of road traffic accidents requires a sharing of responsibilities among different

professionals. It is expected that the road safety engineers, traffic planners, educators, health care

professionals, police, and insurers will all play their part in order to get a control over this great

issue. Every one of the above mentioned professionals have to understand that the prevention of

this problem is only possible through connected efforts and therefore they all have to bear the

responsibility of reducing it. Moreover, the professional people are considered to be the educated

and well informed section of the society. These people can play their role in the reduction of the

road traffic accidents by creating examples through their careful driving and abidance of the

traffic rules. (Tingvall, 1995)


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NGOs, Special InterestGroups

A great role can be played by the Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), which can promote

and publicize the issue of road traffic accidents. Since these organizations work directly in the

fields and are in contact with various influential people within different regions, they can create

awareness among the mass through a direct contact. Through their experiences and fieldobservation, these organizations can help to identify the effective resolution of the problem and

the creation of policies for the prevention. These organizations can particularly play a very

influential role in the developing countries where they are present in abundance and through their

working experience with the community members and the affected families, they can help in the

creation of the best preventative procedures. (Breen, 1999)

Police

Police plays a great role in the prevention of road traffic accidents. These are the people who

have a responsibility to implement the traffic laws and prohibit the violations. According toWeston, (1968), a considerable reduction in the road traffic accidents can be achieved if police

performs its duties honestly. In his research, Weston indicates that the patrolling of police on the

highways and their close inspection of the traffic violators forces the road users to abide by the

traffic laws. Moreover, the fining of the violators leads to a stricter environment due to which the

road users abide by the rules. The majority of road traffic accidents occur due to over speeding,

wrong way drive or red light running and they are all different forms traffic law violation.

Traffic police also plays an important role of testing the blood alcohol concentration limits

(BAC) of the road drivers. Since alcohol consumption is another major cause of road accidents,

testing the BAC of the drivers on the basis of random selection or suspicion is an effective wayto discourage this act. However, the powers delegated to the police with regard to the inspection

of BAC in road drivers vary from region to region. There are countries where the police are

allowed to stop only those drivers who visibly appear to be impaired. In some regions, police

creates checkpoints where it has the authority to check the suspected drivers. However there are

also such regions where police has the complete freedom to test BAC of any driver on random

basis. (Zaal, 1994)

Industry

A major responsibility falls over the industry that can contribute towards the road safety processby designing and producing such vehicles which are safer to drive. Moreover, the industry has

the resources to produce sophisticated road safety equipments which can be integrated into the

overall road infrastructure. A large number of industrial vehicles run on the highways. There are

numerous cases of road traffic accidents where the light as well as heavy vehicles of the industry

have been involved. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the industry to hire, train and motivate


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the drivers to abide by the road safety procedures and create such internal policies which ensures

that traffic laws are abided in any case.

The above mentioned are however not the only ways by which the corporate world can

contribute towards the improvement of road safety. For instance, in Finland, the insurers

scrutinize all the fatal road accidents and commune the obtained data to the relevant governmentauthorities. Similarly in United States, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety collects the

data on road traffic incidents and communicates them to the researchers and the government

agencies. (World Health Organization, 2004)

Users/Citizens

Perhaps the most important players in the prevention of the road traffic accidents are the users or

citizens themselves. The people need to understand the consequences of their rash driving, drunk

driving, violation of traffic laws and use of mobile phones. Through media campaigns and other

forms of public awareness programs, the common people should be enlightened about the dailyloss that the world faces socially as well economically. In parallel with the creation of

preventative procedures and installation of new equipments, the common road users should be

educated about the proper way of following them. (World Health Organization, 2004)

INTRODDUCTION INTO THE CEASES OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN JEDDAH CITY

History of the problem in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has been facing an enormous growth process since 1970s. The improving economy

of the country enabled the people to purchase motor vehicles, and as a result, the number of

automobiles grew exceptionally and immediately. In order to support the rapid increase of motor

vehicles, Saudi Arabia invested huge budgets on the construction of a better road infrastructure.

Gradually with the increase in the number of cars and roads, Saudi Arabia started becoming a

victim of road traffic accidents. A report issued by Mufti in 1983 recorded that road traffic

accidents in Saudi Arabia have been the second major cause of death after the infectious

diseases. (Ofosu et.al)

Motor vehicle is the basic transportation means in Saudi Arabia. During the economic boom

caused by the discovery of oil in 1973, the fate of Saudi nation changed altogether. The buying

power of people became such strong that they were able to afford more than one motor vehicle.

The ultimate effect of such a rise in the economic power of the nation was that the road became

filled with heavy traffic. The more the number of vehicles of grew, the greater became the

incidents of road traffic accident. The extend of this vehicle boom in the region can be

determined from the fact that during 1970, the registered number of vehicles in Saudi Arabia


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were only 144,768, however the figure increased to 5,861,614 by 1994. This represents an

almost 40 times increase over a period of only 24 years. At the same time, it became essential to

support the increasing vehicle traffic with well structured and better road network. Therefore

Saudi government increases the length of paved roads from 8500 km during 1970 to an extensive

43,003 km road structure in 1992. The increase in the length of the roads has been rising till date.

(The General Directorate of Traffic, Ministry of Interior Riyadh, 1994)

According to a research, 564 762 people lost their lives due to road traffic accidents during the

period from 1972 to 1997. This represented almost 3.5% of the then total population of the

country. (Ansari, 2000)

The Roads and Public Transport in Saudi Arabia

Although the process of building modernized road networks has been in progress in Saudi Arabia

since last two decades, yet the public awareness on the road safety procedures are very limited.

The responsible authority for the construction of road networks in KSA is The Ministry ofCommunications. Saudi Arabia uses external expertise imported from the developed regions of

the world, in order to design and construct modern road structure equipped with all the required

and up to date safety equipments. (Al-Ghamdi, 1994)

According to a research, almost 5% of the road traffic accidents occurring in Saudi Arabia have

been attributed to the factors related to vehicles. Whereas the average rate of accidents caused by

the vehicular factors in the developed countries of the world is 20%. This is a significant portion

of the total road traffic accident causing factors. (Treat, 1980) Considering this factor, the

government of Saudi Arabia initiated an episodic Motor Vehicle Inspection Program (MVIP) in

1986. According to this program, it was decided to inspect all the vehicles on the roads of thecountry on annual basis. This inspection program now covers almost 90% of the total region of

country. Although this program restricted a large number of poor conditioned vehicles from the

road, however, there were still many such vehicles which were old and in poor state. (Ministry of

Communications, 1994)

The causes of the Road Traffic Accidents in Saudi Arabia

Traffic accidents, as mentioned earlier, are not the problem of one region or several. It is rather

the dilemma that is faced by every country. Saudi Arabia is among the top places in the list of

countries most affected by road traffic accidents. The reasons that cause these accidents are allcommon all over the globe. Therefore, the causes of the road accidents in Saudi Arabia are

similar to those in the entire world. These can be categorized as below;

y Wrong parkingy U-Turny Overtaking


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y Run red lightingy Speedy Alcoholy Other

Among many others; the above mentioned are some of the most obvious reasons of road traffic

accidents in Saudi Arabia.

Source: (Al-Ghamdi, 1994)

The above figure reveals that among the major reasons of road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia,

over speeding is the major cause. More than 70% of the road accidents are caused by speeding

above the limit imposed by the traffic authorities and disobeying of traffic signals including red

light running. The road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia caused by speeding are almost 1.6 times

more than those happening in USA due to the same reason. Similarly, the accidents caused by

improper over taking in Saudi Arabia are eight times greater while violation of traffic signals are

four times greater than in USA. (Al-Ghamdi, 1994)

The effects of the Road Traffic Accidents in Saudi Arabia

Similarly to the causes, the effects of road traffic accidents are common globally. The effects that

these accidents have on the regions depend upon the following factors;

y The demographic characteristicsy Vehicle quality characteristicsy Efficiency of traffic authoritiesy Efficiency of traffic laws


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y Quality of roadsy Quality of safety procedures on Roady General literacy rate and awareness of the drivers (Ansari, 2000)

The effects of road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia can be categorizes into two basic categories

of social and economical factors.

According to a research statistics, more than 80% of the road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia

occur in the cities. This is linked to the fact that the majority of the population lives in the

urbanized regions of the country, hence leading to greater incidents of road accidents. This is

also linked to the huge amount of vehicle travel kilometers driven in the city areas. However, it

is also revealed by the research that the traffic accidents occurring in the rural areas of the

country are more severe than the urban road accidents. This is associated with the reason that the

speed of the vehicles at the highways passing through or around the rural populated regions is

very high leading to more brutal accidents. (Al-Ghamdi, 1994) This indicates that the traffic

accidents have their effect on the people living in both the rural as well urban regions of Saudi

Arabia.

The number of total beds in 175 hospitals of Ministry of Health is estimated to be around 26737.

Research indicates that almost one third of these total beds are always used by the patients

admitted due to road traffic accidents. It should be noted that this patient rate is excluding those

who receive immediate medical treatment either at the site or at the emergency ward. A large

portion of these total patients admitted due to road traffic accidents suffer severe injuries leading

to disabilities. According to a statistics given by the Ministry of Health for the period of 1993 to

1995, it is revealed that road traffic accident is the top death causing factor in Saudi Arabia after

tumors and cardiac illnesses. (Ministry of Health, 1995)

According to a study conducted in the Eastern Province hospitals reveals that 46% of the total

injuries that the people perceived were caused by traffic accidents and more than 80% of these

patients were under the age of 40. Moreover, the study revealed that among the total road traffic

injuries, 20% were faced by the children under the age of 12 years. The ratio of male to female

patients due to road accidents was 9:1. The study further revealed that at the time of accident

none of the patient was wearing a seat belt. The hospital statistics revealed that almost 50% of

the patients were discharged after an immediate treatment, whereas 25% stayed in the hospital

for more than 30 days. Among the long staying patients of road accidents, 33% were those whoreceived disabling injuries. (Ansari, 2000)

Besides the above mentioned social impacts of road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia, the

economic loss also badly hits the country. The road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia cause an

estimate of SR 21 billion loss annually. The normal economic loss caused by road traffic

accidents in the industrialized countries is approximately 1-2% of the total national income,

however, in Saudi Arabia; the total loss in the national income of the region is between 2.2%-


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9%. This is a great proportion of loss which the nation faces due to the high level of road traffic

accidents. The death or disability of a family member in Saudi Arabia badly hits the economic

stability of the entire family, as women are not allowed to participate in the industrial jobs.

(Ansari, 2000)

Jeddah City

Jeddah is one of the most influential cities of Saudi Arabia, in terms of its economic and

commercial importance. The city is one of the highly populated regions of western Saudi Arabia,

situated besides the coastline of Red Sea. The estimated population of the city of around 3.4

million and the location importance of this region due to being the main gateway to Makah, the

holy city of Muslims, keeps roads of this city very busy. (Jeddah Govt, 2011)

Population

The population of Jeddah is presently estimated to be 3.4 million, which is likely to become 5million by 2029. Demographically, Jeddah is one of the most diverse cities of Saudi Arabia,

where only 52% people are Saudi nationals, whereas the remaining 48% are non-national. The

population of Jeddah is almost split equally between the male and female citizens; however the

pattern of gender gets tilted towards male when the non nationals are considered alone. As the

literature facts mentioned earlier proved that the majorly affected people in the road traffic

accidents are youngsters, the 40% of the total population of Jeddah consists of young people.

Therefore, the problem of road accidents is likely to be significant in this city. (Jeddah Govt,

2011)

Economy

Jeddah is an economic hum of Saudi Arabia due to the increasing commercial activities. This

region enjoys a direct contact with the Red Sea. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Makkah

province consisting of both Jeddah and Makkah city makes up to 217.5 billion SAR. This is the

third highest GDP figure of the country. The economy of the region has become diversified due

to the large Islamic tourism, Jeddah Islamic Port and the growing network of international

Islamic commerce. Oil is not a significant part of the economic stability of this region; rather the

important industries of the city include plastic and chemical industry, agriculture and fisheries.

(Jeddah Govt, 2011)

Society

The majority of Saudi Arabia consists of Muslims, besides the minority communities

representing different other religions and beliefs. A significant proportion of the population of

the region prefers to stay in the cities. The statistics indicate that 50% of the total population of

Makkah province lives in Jeddah, while 23% in Mekkah city. There is a significant trend in the


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urbanization of the population with more and more people filling into the Jeddah city from the

rural areas around. An unfortunate issue in the Jeddah city is inequality of among the genders.

The male have more rights and opportunities than female. Though this has its roots connected to

the norms of Muslim community, yet a significant change has recently been witnessed in the

Muslim world. Only 15% of the labor force of the city consists of female workers, as compared

to the remaining male work force. Similarly, the literacy rate in male population is significantly

greater than the female. Moreover, a significantly large proportion of the road users of the city

consist of male. (Jeddah Govt, 2011)

Road &Traffic Laws in Saudi Arabia (Jeddah)

The traffic system followed in Saudi Arabia in general and Jeddah city in particular are almost

similar to the global traffic rules and laws. The traffic regulation of the country falls under the

responsibilities of Ministry of Interior. To regulate the growing traffic anomalies of the country

and to reduce the road traffic accidents, a revolutionary measure was taken by the Saudi

government called saher system. This traffic control mechanism has been implemented in almost

all the major cities of the Kingdom and has significantly brought changes in the overall traffic

system.

Some of the main features of Saher system are as follows;

y Traffic Control Systemy Vehicle Location Identificationy Authorized number Plate identification mechanismy CCTV camera systems networked with the Ministry of Interiors National Information

Center

y An automated traffic signal management system based on such factors as the density oftraffic and its movements in particular intersections. (www.Saher.goc.sa, 2011)

THE USED METHDOLGIES AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

The different used methodologies for gathering the data

The research work that has been conducted in analyzing the different aspects of road traffic

accidents uses both primary as well as secondary sources of information. The majority of theresearches use the aid of secondary data available from various sources such as past literature

work, facts and statistics from relevant road traffic authorities and data obtained from various

social organizations such as World Health Organization. The analysis and interpretation of the

secondary data obtained from the above mentioned sources enables the researchers to identify a

summarized trend in the road traffic accidents. Every research conducted in the area of road


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traffic accidents has used the following methods in order to obtain primary information for

interpretation and scrutiny.

y Questionnairey Interviewsy Checklisty Surveyy Formsy Observationy Group discussionsy Face to face meeting (University Libraries, 2011)

The above mentioned methods of obtaining primary information are almost common in all types

of researches. All the research work done in the subject of road traffic accidents have greatly

relied over the questionnaire, interviews and checklists aimed at the road users in the targetedregions.

In order to calculate the economic impact of road traffic accidents, two popular approaches are

employed worldwide by the researches. These include the Human Capital Approach and

Willingness to Pay Approach. In Human Capital Approach, human beings are considered to be a

resource for any organization that plays a vital role in sustaining and promoting it. Therefore, the

loss to the human life or disabilities caused by road traffic accidents affect this important

resource. The willingness to pay approach is based on the idea that every individual is willing to

pay a price in order to lessen or diminish the probability of the accidents. Both of these

approaches are allowed to determine a reasonable economic impact of the road traffic accidentsaround the world and are therefore among the widely implemented tools by the researchers.

(Richmund, M., et.al. 2005)

Analysis of international data

The international researches conducted earlier in the topic of road traffic accidents have revealed

almost similar results. The most affected areas in terms of Road deaths per billion vehicle

kilometres includes Czech Republic, Korea, Slovenia, Belgium and New Zealand, among many

others. (International Road Traffic and Accident Database, 2009) The international data reveals

that the issue of road traffic accidents is common everywhere and therefore, it is a globaldilemma. The statistics reveal that the most affected age group is the young generation who die

or suffer life time disabilities due to road traffic accidents.


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Road deaths per billion vehicle kilometers in 2007, selected countries

Source: (International Road Traffic and Accident Database, 2009)

According to a research conducted by Fouracre and Jacobs, (1977), the road traffic accidents not

only cause the loss of millions of live every around the world, but also badly affecting theeconomy of the individual regions. Their research indicates that around 1 percent of a countrys

Gross national product (GNP) gets affected by the road traffic accidents. This figure is later used

by many other regions to determine the cost of road traffic accidents in their respective regions.

Using the aid of this research and imparting other scales and expertise, the World Bank and other

similar organizations have estimated a higher percentage of around 1 to 3 % affecting the GNP

of a country. (Fouracre and Jacobs, 1977). The researches indicate that the major source of


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information about the number of deaths caused by the road traffic accidents include police,

Insurance organizations, government authorities, governmental and non-governmental social

service organizations, etc. The researches indicate the information provided by the police

authorities has been found wrong when compared to the data provided by other organizations

including insurance companies. For instance, the statistics provided by the police department in

Philippines only covers one death out of every 5 reported in the medical institutions. Similarly,

in Indonesia, more than 40% deaths are reported by the insurance companies as compared to the

statistics provided by the police authorities with respect to road traffic accidents. Moreover, the

deaths reported by the Department of Health in Taiwan were more than 130% as compared to the

data provided by the police. (Jacobs, and Aeron-Thomas)

The above information reveals that the data provided by most of the police departments around

the world are incorrect or unsatisfactory. This can put a question mark over the accuracy of the

research results based on the information obtained from police authorities. However, the

satisfaction reverts back when it is considered that almost all the researches include more than

one source of data, therefore taking account of the inaccuracies of data provided by one source.

Estimated road fatality regional distribution (1999)

Source: (Jacobs, and Aeron-Thomas)

According to the above graph, Asia and Pacific is the most affected region of the world due to

road traffic accidents. More than 44% of traffic accidents occur in this region. After that, HMC is

affected by around 14%, while Latin/Central America & Caribbean is affected by 13%. The

above graph reveals that Middle is affected by 6% of the total road fatalities around the world.

The table below reveals the international statistics of the road traffic accidents in terms of

percentage. The table divides the regions of the world into six regions and according to the

statistics, Asia Pacific covers 16% of the total vehicles on the road of the world and only with


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such small percentage, accounts for 54% of the total population in the world that is affected by

the road accidents.

Distribution of global deaths and licensed vehicles

Region Road

fatalities

%

Vehicles

%

Population

%

Highly motorized countries 14 60 15

Asia/Pacific 44 16 54

Central/Eastern Europe 12 6 7

Latin America/Caribbean 13 14 8

Africa 11 4 11

Middle East/North Africa 6 2 4

TOTAL 100 100 100

Source: (Jacobs, and Aeron-Thomas)

Analysis Middle East data

The analysis of road traffic accidents in Middle East indicates that like all other regions of the

world, this is also badly affected by the road traffic accidents, both economically and as well

socially. The research analysis indicates that road traffic accidents is one of the major causes ofdeaths in the Middle East region. The table below indicates that this dilemma is affecting the

people regardless of their class. Moreover, the table indicates that five countries in the Middle

Eastern region are included in the list of highest road traffic death rates around the world. The

table below indicates that United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait had

more 18 deaths per 100,000 people during the year 2000. Interestingly, all these countries are

located in the Upper Middle East regions. (Adnan, 2006)

It is believed that besides the great number of deaths and huge loss to the economy of the region,

there is seldom shown any seriousness in controlling the dilemma. Out of the entire Middle

Eastern countries, only Bahrain and Israel have issued the age wise road accident death ratereport to WHO. The statistics revealed in the report issued by Bahrain indicates that road traffic

accidents in this region cause more losses to life years as compared to the combined impact of

diseases such as cancer, hearth anomalies and infection. Among the Lower Middle part of the

region, the countries like Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Syria have relatively lower death rates. Middle

East is categorized among the developing regions of the world, where the economic stability and

buying power position of the population is getting better over the time. This factor has lead to


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increased number of cars on the road. Although the road structure and traffic systems are getting

improved, yet the measures taken are not considered satisfactory. (Adnan, 2006)

Death rates from road traffic injuries for countries in the Middle East by income

Income and country Deaths per 100 000

people

Low:

Yemen 8

Lower middle:

Egypt 13

Iraq 8

Jordan 15

Syria 10

Upper middle:

Oman 25

High:

Bahrain 12

Israel 8

Kuwait 18

Qatar 19

Saudi Arabia 21

United Arab Emirates 29Source: (Adnan, 2006)

Analysis Saudi Arabia and Jeddah data

The analysis of the road accident statistics revealed by majority of the researches indicates that

the death rate caused by this anomaly is improving over the time. Although the statistics reveal

that the number of registered vehicles on the roads of Saudi Arabia has greatly increased in the

past few decades, yet the number of road accidents has become considerably lower. The statistics

of the period from 1973 to 1985 of Saudi Arabia indicate that the decrease in the rate of deaths

on the roads due to the accidents has reduced by 82.9%. This is almost 14.6% annual reductionover these 14 years. The reduction in road accidents in Riyadh is 83.1% from 1973 to 1985,

which is an annual reduction rate of 14.7%. However, the rates for Jeddah city indicate that the

reduction of the road accidents have been 88.2%, which is almost 17.9% annually. The research

indicates that the accident rates in Riyadh are almost 100% greater than in Jeddah, beside the fact

that the number of vehicles per capita is higher in the latter. During the same mentioned period,

the increase in the registered vehicles in Jeddah has been 3492%, which is an annual growth rate


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of 31.7%. This is an exceptional increase in the number of vehicles coming on the road and

obviously required a huge capital investment on the road structure of the region. The statistics

show that besides the great increase in the road traffic, the number of accidents remained under

control in the Jeddah region. However, when the impact of losses both in the form of human life

as well as economy is consider, it is evident that it is yet a significant and alarming situation. A

very interesting revelation is made by the statistics generated by research that although the

number of road accidents is higher in Riyadh as compared to Jeddah, yet the number of

causalities and fatalities is greater in the latter. The researches have shown that the number of

causalities and fatalities are higher in the regions where the pedestrian accidents are higher. The

pedestrians are considered to be the most vulnerable people on the roads and hence any

unfortunate event of accident will lead to great physical damage. Jeddah is facing the issue of

greater fatalities due to the higher pedestrian alongside the roads of the city. (Ofosu et.al)

Although a reasonable extent of research has been carried out on road traffic accidents in Saudi

Arabia, however, unfortunately, a very little up to date study has been made on Jeddah city in

this regard. Jeddah, which is considered to be one of the most populated and economically

important parts of Saudi Arabia, is facing the problem of road traffic accidents, which can only

be resolved by conducting research on the prime factors leading to these accidents and the areas

where the government can take measures in order to take control over them.

CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION

The above literature review has proved that road traffic accidents are a leading death causing

factors almost around the world. As the population of the world is increasing, the number of

vehicles on the roads is increasing at the same pace. Although the road networks have beengreatly improved in the developed parts of the world, yet it is noted in the above literature

analysis that the problem of road traffic accidents is still an issue. The above review of the

literature and past researches indicate that there were several measures taken at the governmental

level to take control of the problem and reduce the loss of important human lives. However,

these measures are considered to be unsatisfactory, as to deal with a great problem a greater

solution needs to be evolved.

The majority of the statistics are providing by the police departments, insurance organizations,

medical organizations, social organizations and traffic authorities of the countries. These sources

together have revealed that a great loss is suffered in the form of human life. Millions of people

die on the road crashes and millions face life time disabilities due to the same. A great loss is

also suffered economically due to the loss of human capital as well physical property. The

literature review has shown that the greatest factors that lead to road accidents include drunk

driving, fast driving, red light running, careless utruns, wrong way driving, disobedience of

speed limits, poor vehicle maintenance, etc. The literature has also identified that the most

affected age group by the road crashes is the young generation of less than 25 years of age.


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Saudi Arabia is at the top position among the regions of the world that are most affected by the

road traffic accidents. Saudi Arabia, a greatly developing part of Middle Eastern region has faced

a sudden increase in the number of vehicles coming up on the roads in the past 2 decades. This is

linked to the economic boom in the region due to discovery of oil and increasing foreign

investment. As the number of vehicles on the road has increased, the road traffic accidents have

become more serious. Jeddah city is one of the most affected parts of the country where the

problem of road crashes is causing even more deaths than the life threatening diseases such as

cancer and heart diseases.

In order to improve the condition, there is an immediate need to evaluate the major factors that

lead to road accidents at individual district or city level around the world. This is the only way to

determine the ground realities of every region in order to create a relevant response plan. The

road network has to be improved further by taking care of all the road safety requirements. The

vehicle manufacturers have to play a great role in increasing the safety condition of the vehicles

by imparting the technological safety features and better road grip of the cars. The governments

need to take control over the increasing number of vehicles by creating restrictions on the

number of vehicles owned by one family. There should be precise measures taken for each of the

major accident leading causes identified by the literature review.

There is yet a great room for revelations made by up to date research and analysis in this regard.

There is a need to conduct a periodic assessment of the statistics of the road crashes at national as

well as international level in order to determine the changing trend of deteriorating or improving

situation.


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