Traffic accidents record dramatic figures in Yemen

The lack for traffic control, safety systems in public
transportation means and the incomplete statistics are the main
reasons behind: ESCWA expert.

Edited By: Tawfiq Alnadhif

SANA'A, June 11 (Saba)- Traffic accidents become a big trouble
threaten the community, which exhaust the national and human
potential resources and weaken the communities in addition to the
massive losses such as the social, psychological and material
problems they left.

Traffic accidents in Yemen are still killing hundreds of people
monthly, and they left many deaths and injuries and widow women and
orphans children.

Several reasons cause these accidents, the concerned authorities
mention few of them and ignore the other ones which reveal that they
are directly or indirectly responsible.

Last week recorded high rates in the level of traffic accidents that
took place in different provinces. Those accidents left 44 people
dead and 360 injured varied from severe, medium and light injuries,
as well as material losses.

The high-speed, the lack of periodical maintenance and technical
examination of vehicles, the false go by and the use of mobile phone
particularly in the long roads and the teens drivers were the main
reasons behind most of the accidents.

The International expert in traffic safety at the Economic and
Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Dr. Bassam Anani said,
in a working paper submitted during an expanded meeting held
recently at the Ministry of Transportation, that Yemen is one the
most affected countries by the traffic accidents.

He pointed out that the numbers of deaths are monitored represent
only 70 % of the actual numbers because some accidents are not
proclaimed.

Moreover, this figure represents the deaths occurred in the scene
while the deaths that occur later on in hospitals are not mentioned.

He said that traffic accidents represent an economic obstacle rather
than the bad humanitarian and social impact that case a
developmental retardation in the community.

He summarized the main problems that face the traffic safety in
Yemen by two reasons, first the lack of qualified personnel who can
prepare and analyze the traffic data, secondly the incomplete
statistics about the accidents, which hinder the goals that might be
set up for reducing the accidents indicators.

He added that the obstacles that face the traffic safety also the
absence of traffic control on a continuous basis, the non-use of
public transportation vehicles in a safety manner and lack of the
public transportation means for safety systems, the lack of
follow-up of drivers who have repeated infractions, in addition to
the poor control on the Driving Schools which grant the licenses for
the driver and the vehicles and the unsafe use for unlicensed
motorcycles.

He recommended on necessity of setting up a comprehensive assessment
study to make a general strategy includes the development of roads
traffic safety in order to identify areas of weaknesses and
deficiencies and traffic accidents data and geometric design of
roads, driver training and testing and licensing of vehicles and
insurance for passenger traffic and control traffic and awareness
programs, information and education, traffic studies, including the
cost of accidents.