Motorists urged to be more vigilant while driving

MUSCAT, MAY 12 - The Royal Oman Police reiterated that motorists take extra care while driving during the holy month of Ramadhan. “Ramadhan is a time when the lifestyle changes. Motorists should take extra care while on road, especially when rushing for Iftar. Over speeding can invite dangers,” an ROP official told the Observer. In any case, one should take rest before hitting the road again and make sure the lives of you, your co- passengers and the public are safe. In the Sultanate of Oman, most of the accidents during the holy month have been attributed to fatigue and recklessness driving owing to the change in the pattern of sleep.

“Often people tend to sleep while driving. This results in risking the life of oneself and lives of others as well. Motorists should be extra cautious about traffic safety,” the official said.

He quoted some of the safety measures which are handy such as using the proper indicator well before one changes his/ her lane to another, and not to emerge suddenly into another lane.

“Before you overtake, ensure that it is safe to do so, and don’t forget to signal your indicators. Be safe and comply with the traffic rules. Remember, a very minor mistake may need to be paid with a big price.”

Road safety continues to be a grave public health and development issue globally and in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The Global status report on road safety 2018 shows that road traffic crashes claim approximately 1.35 million lives across the world every year. An additional 20–50 million people are injured annually, with many sustaining permanent disabilities.

More than 50 per cent of the deaths are among vulnerable road users, such as reckless drivers, pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.

Road traffic injury is the eighth leading cause of death among all ages in the region and the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults aged 15–29, after collective violence worldwide.

Road traffic injuries and deaths are largely preventable through the adoption of a Safe System approach to address different aspects of road safety and the implementation of evidence-based interventions that have proven successful in many countries.