Residents take caravans to enjoy winter camping season.
The winter camping season, poses a challenge to traffic department’s expectation of keeping number of accidents lowers this year compared to last year.
The General Directorate of Traffic is conducting many awareness campaigns for safe driving to provide guidance on traffic safety. The tips include safety measures for avoiding accidents, safe motorcycle use, child safety, and on fire prevention.
In the beginning of winter season, caravans and trailers are frequently taken to camping sites without following the safety requirements set by the Traffic Department. Also children drive motorcycles and cars without driving licenses.
Major General Mohamed Saad Al Kharji, Director General of Traffic said that “So far we are expecting decrease in traffic accidents, however the first two months (November and December) of winter camping season is a big challenge.”
Replying to a question on the sidelines of the International Traffic Safety Conference last week, about decrease the department is expecting, he told The Peninsula: “The decline, even if it is one percent, it is considered as big achievement as it means saving many lives.”
“There is a significant drop in the number of serious injuries and it is due to an increase in awareness among youth about the dangers of traffic accidents”, he said.
The traffic Department on its Twitter said that the patrols are deployed on all outside roads to prevent vehicles of from overspeeding, also the mobile radars can capture traffic violations patrol in most of roads.
In the previous months, the department has seized more than 1300 vehicles for violating traffic rules. It also said that “For owners of the booked cars, the purpose is not to book them, but to keep safe the lives of the road users .
The Traffic Department last year issued a new procedures regarding the use of caravans which are used frequently during winter campaign.
For caravans a new chassis number will be stamped by Fahes in coordination with licensing authority.
The chassis number plate will be fixed in front and back of the caravan and all traffic safety requirements should be met as required.
