Muscat: A total of 70 people perished in road accidents across the sultanate during the month of March, underscoring the challenges faced by authorities in enhancing road safety.
According to statistics issued by the Royal Oman Police on Friday, 798 people also sustained various injuries in the mishaps. The most horrific of the accidents involved a head-on collision between two vehicles that left six people dead in the western province of Ibri.
In one of the deadliest weeks for road mishaps so far this year, 20 people were killed and 138 injured in a spate of accidents during the week of April 3 - 9, police reported.
Oman’s government has made road safety a major priority ahead of next month’s national symposium on the issue, which will be convened on the royal directives of Sultan Qaboos. The five-day symposium, which will be held from May 15, focuses on the theme, ‘Yes for Limiting Road Accidents’.
Separately, police also released statistics highlighting the dangers posed by errant truck drivers and operators on the nation’s roads. A total of 45 people were killed while 481 suffered injuries in truck-related accidents during 2009. Police attributed the mishaps to mainly speeding, overloading and reckless overtaking.
