Qatar has added remarkable achievements to its credit while implementing the strategy to lower road accident fatalities.
This was highlighted during the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDoR 2021) by the National Traffic Safety Committee on Sunday.
Brig Mohamed Abdullah al-Shahwani, acting director general of Traffic, told the event that Qatar has been able to occupy a prominent position at the global level in reducing the death rate. “We have reached four deaths per 100,000 in 2020 while the rate was 11.3 per 100,000 inhabitants. This is less than the global average of 18.2. Qatar has added a new and distinct global experience between rapidly developing countries and third world countries,” al-Shahwani said.
He noted that traffic accidents cause loss of productive capacities of families and countries. Also, al-Shahwani appreciated the efforts made by the police, ambulance, civil defense and others and emphasised the importance of building an efficient transport sector that supports national sustainable development plans.
Brig engineer Mohamed Abdullah al-Maliki, secretary of the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC), said that road accidents are a major cause of deaths and disabilities with millions of victims all over the world, especially in developing countries.
He pointed out that Qatar has taken advanced steps in the field of road safety and given it great attention, represented in the establishment of the NTSC with the partnership of more than 13 entities in addition to experts and specialists in road safety. “These are in addition to the services of various engineering, technical, educational and legislative projects in a way that enhances road safety and security for all its users,” he said.
Brig al-Maliki explained that the committee has paid great attention as it prepared the first national strategy for traffic safety, an ambitious strategy that aims to reduce death from road accidents from 13 per 100,000 to six per 100,000 by 2022. Qatar has achieved this goal five years ahead of schedule and reached four deaths per 100,000 population in 2020.
He added that great results are visible in road safety due to building advanced road networks that meet the highest safety standards contributing to providing a suitable environment for the establishment of an integrated transport system that enjoys traffic safety and security.
The official reiterated that these results would not have been achieved without the great renaissance that the country is witnessing in all facilities, especially the infrastructure projects that are being implemented in planning and building cities on modern foundations and designing advanced road networks that meet the highest safety standards. “These results are products of determination, persistence, conviction and interest in the matter. The second version of the National Traffic Safety Strategy, will run from 2023 to 2030 after the completion of the first version in 2022,” he said.
 
 
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