Letter From Oman: Road safety in focus as casualty figures reach new heights

It is almost a year but the memory of the gruesome accident that charred two Indian school students last year is still alive, especially when I pass the bend where Amit Roy and Sameer Diwan crashed against the New Jersey barrier before their rented car turned into an inferno.

There are some incidents that refuse to leave one's memory. I lost a childhood friend in school when a pick up truck ran over him as he was crossing the road to fetch a ball.

I was eight then, but I just cannot forget that tragedy like the crash that ended the promising lives of Amit and Sameer on the last Friday of June last year. Since that horrific crash in the early hours, fatal accidents have become a regular feature in Oman. Not a week goes by without an incident on the roads here. More than 400 people have died in traffic accidents since last June.

In fact this year began on an inauspicious note with 60 deaths caused by traffic accidents. Colonel Saleh bin Said Al Maskeri, Director General of Traffic in Oman had then admitted in an interview that this figure was unprecedented.

Defence personnel

Last week, Oman lost one of its top defence personnel when Chief of Staff of Sultan's Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Khamis bin Humaid bin Salim Al Kalbani, died in an accident in Sumayil when his car overturned.

Officials believe that most of the accidents are due to human errors, negligence and over speeding. A survey has also shown that most fatal crashes involve youth and Oman's 60 per cent population is under the age of 19.

The higher number of casualties have raised an alarm and the authorities are doing their best to create awareness to avoid traffic accidents. The Oman FM radio station has also started a campaign to alert its listeners about the perils of dangerous driving and urging them to abide by the traffic laws while driving.

The campaign has been appreciated by the authorities and the public as it raises vital questions regarding safety of road users in the country.

Interestingly, Oman was the first country in the region to make seat belts for both driver and co-driver compulsory around 15 years ago. The authorities have also strictly banned the use of mobile phones by drivers unless they use hands- free sets.

Speed traps

Unlike most other countries, Oman police sets speed traps without prior warning by placing mobile radars at various points, but the menace of speeding refuses to go as youngsters get their hands on fancy speeding vehicles.

Therefore, the traffic police chief's suggestion to control use of cars by the youngster sounds quite prudent. He has even suggested higher insurance premiums for high risk drivers. In his opinion higher premiums on sports models and youngsters would help reduce speeds on the roads and help bring the death ratedown. Incidentally, casualties on the roads are much higher in Oman than death from disease.

With over 200 deaths already recorded this year, the time has come for every concerned resident of Oman to think about putting a stop to it.

And, as Colonel Al Maskeri rightly said, the onus is also on parents and elders to ensure that youngsters don't get a free hand when it comes to driving.

If elders can control the use of their vehicles by their young wards, then we won't have to lose bright students like Amit and Sameer.