Citation

Al-Ghamdi AS. J. Traffic Med. 2001; 29(1-2): 26-31.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, International Association for Accident and Traffic Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

Objective: Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a fast developing and modern city. With a population of three million inhabitants and a motorized rate (population per vehicle) of 3.8, Riyadh has been experiencing increasing traffic accident problems. Official statistics have shown that more than 400 fatalities and 3000 injuries occur annually, due to traffic accidents. The severity index of traffic accidents over the past four years is higher for Riyadh than the corresponding nationwide index. This study aims at investigating the severity of traffic accidents in Riyadh. Methods: An attempt was made to compare property damage only (PDO) accidents with severe accidents in order to analyze the nature of severe accidents and determine their characteristics so that some remedies can be recommended. For this purpose, a total of 1774 reported accidents were collected in a systematic random manner for the period of 1996 through 1997. Analysis, using various test statistics, was conducted to compare the two categories of accidents. Results: The study found that improper driving behavior is the primary cause of accidents in Riyadh and the young drivers are most often the victims in such accidents. In addition, the taxis and pick-up trucks are at high risk of being involved in accidents. Conclusion: The analysis indicates that there is an urgent need for reviewing existing public awareness programs and law enforcement strategies.