22nd Arab Conference of Traffic Department Heads Launches in Tunisia with Kuwait's Participation
The 22nd Arab Conference of Traffic Department Heads has launched in Tunisia, with Kuwait participating to discuss enhancing road safety.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Tunis, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- The 22nd Arab Conference of Heads of Traffic Departments opened today at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab Ministers of Interior Council in Tunis, with the participation of heads of traffic departments and their representatives from Arab countries, including the State of Kuwait. The conference aims to discuss efforts to enhance road safety and unify awareness campaigns on road safety.
In his opening address, Arab Ministers of Interior Council Secretary-General Mohamed Kouman called for strengthening awareness of the dangers of traffic accidents in Arab countries, citing the “numerous tragedies” occurring on roads due to these accidents, which claim thousands of lives annually, leave tens of thousands injured, and cause material losses amounting to tens of billions of dollars.
Kouman noted that the latest statistics on traffic accidents in just 10 Arab countries reached nearly one million incidents, resulting in the deaths of approximately 11,000 people and injuries to around 120,000, indicating the scale of losses if data were available from all countries.
He urged member states to provide data on traffic accidents, enabling the issuance of comprehensive statistics that would provide traffic policymakers with accurate figures to formulate appropriate policies and adopt effective approaches to curb these tragedies. He emphasized that nearly 90 percent of such accidents are caused by human factors, primarily the failure of road users to respect traffic rules.
He stressed the importance of directing efforts toward raising awareness among road users about the necessity of adhering to traffic rules and etiquette, as well as addressing other causes related to road defects, vehicle conditions, and other factors, while reiterating the need to unify road safety awareness campaigns across all Arab countries.
Representing Kuwait at the conference were Colonel Fahad Al-Khalidi, Director of the Al-Ahmadi Traffic Licensing Department; Colonel Abdullah Burhamah, Director of Capital City Traffic Patrols; and First Lieutenant Fatima Al-Dhuwaidi, representing the International Relations Department. (End) S.B.M. / A.M.S.
