Officials from the Traffic Department and HMC during a function to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims at the headquarters of Traffic Department, in Doha yesterday. Pic: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula
Doha: There have been fewer road traffic accidents recorded this year so far than the previous year, officials have said.
“The overall results of traffic accidents are promising this year compared to last year. So far, the number is lower, especially during the lockdown months compared to the last year,” said Secretary of the National Traffic Safety Committee Brigadier Mohammed Abdullah Al Maliki.
He was speaking at an event to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims yesterday.
The event was commemorated by the General Directorate of Traffic under the slogan ‘Remember – Support — Act'’, and was held at the department headquarters in the presence of several officials from the department and authorities concerned.
The participants reviewed the efforts made to reduce road accident victims in Qatar, the efforts made and the measures taken that have led to a decrease in deaths from traffic accidents.
Brig Al Maliki said commemorating road accident victims was for the stakeholders to work together to reduce road accidents.
“The State of Qatar realised early on the seriousness of road accidents on its social and economic foundations. The State took the initiative to establish the National Traffic Safety Committee as a pioneering institution — creating traffic policies to achieve safety on roads and to preserve the lives and properties of society,” he said.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi, who is a member of the National Traffic Safety Committee, noted that the role of the Ministry of Education was to inculcate the principles of traffic safety in students and the school community. This will help create a generation that is aware of traffic safety standards and appreciates its role in preserving lives and property.
“The surrounding and connecting streets to schools have also been developed according to the highest international standards to ensure the greatest degree of safety and security for school-goers, including students, employees, and parents,” Dr. Al Nuaimi said.
Director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, said the health services and their development have greatly helped in tackling accidents. Therefore, the MoPH ensured immediate ambulance services in Qatar should have a highly-efficient, leading role in responding to accidents, he stressed.
“The telephone response time for ambulances was less than five seconds, and the time to arrive at accident scenes was less than eight minutes inside Doha and less than 10 minutes outside.
Besides, the response team provides top quality services during the transfer of the injured to the hospital,” said the director.
Assistant Director-General of Traffic, Col Nasser Durman Al Hajri, said the commemoration came this year to confirm the urgent need to enhance road safety measures and provide the highest safety standards.
“Setting ambitious goals to reduce road traffic injuries constitutes the greatest challenge facing countries and societies,” he stressed.
“Countries that have implemented measures to improve road safety have witnessed great progress and remarkable success in reducing the number of deaths and injuries resulting from road accidents.”
Head of Trauma Services at Hamad Medical Corporation, Dr. Hassan Al Thani, said that we must work for road accident victims in Qatar and their families by reducing the number of victims.
“Also we should work on improving traffic law enforcement, creating high-quality roads, importing the safest vehicles, and maintaining high-quality trauma care in Qatar,” he added.
