File photo used for representation only.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar residents have lauded authorities for its latest step to curb road traffic violations and accidents by introducing surveillance to monitor mobile phone users while driving. The new measure also includes monitoring drivers who don’t use seatbelts while driving.
In a post on the X platform yesterday, the Ministry of Interior disclosed that “the General Directorate of Traffic will start automated monitoring for traffic violations of not wearing a seat belt and using a mobile phone while driving from September 3, 2023.”
In a video message, the ministry also disclosed that the radar systems will be operational 24 hours while urging motorists to adhere to traffic rules to protect themselves and others.
In an online survey last year by the Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center (QTTSC) at Qatar University (QU), it was discovered that out of 256 respondents, only 13% said they never used their mobile phones for calls in their last 10 driving trips. In contrast, a “whopping one in five used their mobile phones on their trips.”
“I think the mobile phone usage among drivers has become common, and in a way, most people feel if they aren’t using their mobile phones while driving, they are missing out,” Rustan Mahmud, a taxi driver told The Peninsula.
Mahmud added that while driving and using the mobile phone is wrong, the habit has become too entrenched in many drivers.
As per the QTTSC survey, around 90% of the respondents think using a mobile phone while driving increases their risk of a car crash and distracts attention from the road. However, slightly fewer (75%) consider the practice generally unsafe.
“As taxi drivers, we see a lot on the road, and one has to choose between being right and avoiding accidents. You see a car switching lanes in front of you, and the driver is unaware because they are on their phones. Sometimes the traffic light turns green, and they don’t notice because they are on the phone. Hopefully, this new initiative makes a difference for everyone,” he added.
In 2021, an official of the General Directorate of Traffic, while addressing a webinar, said about 80 to 90% of traffic accidents are caused by mobile phones while driving, especially on highways.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), drivers using mobile phones are approximately 4 times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers not using a mobile phone. It added that hands-free phones are not much safer than hand-held phone sets, and texting considerably increases the risk of a crash while driving.
“Driving should be taken seriously, and there are many violators of basic road etiquettes,” Mikel, a Doha resident, said. He noted that most violations occur along the highways towards Al Khor and Abu Samra.
“Someone overtakes you, and you see them on the phone, or they are in the speed lane and going slower than the speed limit, but they are distracted due to their mobile phone. I was excited to see the news, and I can’t wait for the surveillance to be implemented. “Once people pay fines and face the consequences, perhaps it would be for the best for all of us.”
