Cairo: Some 105,065 reports were filed last year about traffic accidents across Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh getting the lion’s share, according to a Saudi media report.
The number of reports lodged with the medical Saudi Red Crescent in Riyadh reached 30,719, making up 29% of the total, thus surpassing those received in nine other areas of the kingdom, Al Watan newspaper said.
Coming second was the holy city of Mecca with 28,687, followed by the Eastern Province with 12,933, Asir in south-west with 7,792 and Medina with 6,250.
The Northern Borders region tailed the list with 867 reports, constituting a miniscule 1% of the tally. The breakdown provided no figures about potential deaths.
In recent years, Saudi authorities have toughened road measures and penalties for traffic violations to curb road crashes.
Fatalities resulting from traffic accidents in the kingdom have declined by more than 40% over the past 10 years, according to a recent official report.
Some 4,423 fatalities were registered last year due to road crashes in the kingdom against 7,486 in 2014, Saudi newspaper Al Yaum said, citing a Ministry of Health report.
During the same period, injuries resulting from traffic mishaps dropped by over 33%, registering 24,002 injured persons last year against 35,843 in 2014, the report added.
The fatality rate per 100,000 people decreased from 2,644 in 2014 to 1,306 last year, and 12,661 injured people in 2014 down to 7,087 in 2023, according to the report.
Citing a 2023 World Health Organization report, Saudi Minister of Health Fahd Al Jalajel said in May that fatalities from traffic accidents in the kingdom had decreased by 50% while resulting injuries fell by 35%.
