(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)In 2014 one person died every 12 hours on the UAE's roads. In the wider GCC region a person died every 53 minutes as a result of a traffic accident.
These shocking statistics are the driving force behind the UAE government's target of reducing road deaths to three per 100000 people by 2021. Statistics from the Ministry of Interior revealed 712 people lost their lives in accidents in 2014. With a population of 9.4 million it recorded one road death per 13295 people that year. In the GCC a staggering 10000 people were killed as a result of road accidents in 2014. Of the six countries in the region the UAE ranks second behind Bahrain for road safety. To highlight the issue and share knowledge on how best to reduce these numbers a first-of-its-kind conference-led exhibition is coming to the UAE. On October 25 this year Natrans Arabia 2015 will turn its attention towards road safety during the Middle East Road Conference. It will highlight the role of sustainable technology-led solutions in supporting the integrated and coordinated strategies needed to address the GCC's alarming road safety record. At present Saudi Arabia holds the poorest record on road safety in the GCC. The road death per population stands at one in every 3801 people. Bahrain is noted as the safest country with one in 22033 on average. Qatar comes in at number three with one death in every 10216 people; Kuwait at number four with one in 7547; and Oman with one in every 4811. The Middle East Road Conference will be held in partnership with the UAE Federal Transport Authority - Land and Maritime and under the patronage of Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi Minister of Public Works and Chairman of the authority. Exhibition director of Natrans Arabia Alex Heuff told Khaleej Times "education and safety planning" are key to tackling the issue. "The UAE government is investing greatly in upgrading the road infrastructure here. It is installing countless speed radars and additional roads signs. However education will be a huge factor in reducing road fatalities." When comparing road safety figures from the GCC and Europe the latter fares better and awareness is the reason for this. "In Europe public awareness campaigns use shock tactics. The messages may seem controversial but they have had a huge impact. Awareness campaigns need to be stepped up here. Shock tactics work." He said another solution is accessibility to public transport. With small numbers of accidents reported on public transport here Heuff said expansion of the services will improve the situation greatly. "We are seeing a decline in road accidents here but work to alleviate the problem has to continue. Increased public transport facilities would be a huge bonus." A number of government officials and representatives from the region will attend the event including Dr Arif Mehmood safety planning specialist Integrated Planning Division Department of Transport Abu Dhabi. Dr Mehmood highlighted the progress Abu Dhabi has made towards road safety. "Over the last five years it has witnessed a 35 per cent decline in fatalities." Financial burden Tragically traffic accidents cost lives but they also cost the economy Heuff said. "Every year the UAE economy loses about Dh3 billion as a result of traffic accidents. Improving road safety through education increased public transport infrastructure and sustainable technologies will benefit the country hugely." In 2010 governments of the world declared 2011 to 2020 as the 'Decade of Action for Road Safety' after statistics revealed 1.24 million people worldwide were killed as a result of road-related accidents.
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