Car Accidents in Oman Decline by Less than 70% in 5 Years

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Oman’s most senior traffic officer has thanked drivers in the Sultanate for helping to make the roads safer, as new statistics reveal accidents and deaths on the roads have both dropped dramatically from 2012.

The number of accidents reduced by 67 per cent, injuries by 34 per cent, and deaths by 53 per cent since 2012.

New traffic amendments and a constant road safety campaign by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) have combined to reduce risks on the roads.

Brig Gen Eng Mohammed Al Rawas, director general of traffic at ROP, thanked motorists for helping to bring down the number of accidents. “Thank you drivers for abiding by traffic rules. Now, help us to help you even more,” he said.

According to recent data released by the police, in 2017, a total of 3,845 accidents occurred, down from 4,721 the previous year. Some 640 deaths occurred in 2017, compared to 692 in 2016. And, 3,134 people were injured in 2017, compared to 3,261 people in 2016.

Most of the accidents took place during the day in 2017, with 2,124 accidents, compared to 2,584 in 2016. The number of accidents that occurred during the night in 2017 stood at 1,721, compared to 2,137 in 2016.

As many as 417 Omanis lost their lives in 2017, 89 of them females. The number of expats who lost their lives in road accidents stood at 223.

While 2,353 Omanis were injured in road accidents in 2017, the number was 841 for expats.

Fridays saw the most deaths from road accidents in 2017, with 109 deaths resulting from 532 accidents.

Saturdays came next with 106 deaths, followed by Tuesdays, which recorded 101 deaths from 590 accidents.

November recorded the highest number of accidents in 2017, with 387 accidents. June saw 382 accidents and July 361 accidents.

Speeding was still the most common cause of accidents (2,261 in 2017, down from 2,499 in 2016). Negligence (552 compared to 672) and improper behaviour (521 compared to 705) were also leading causes of accidents and deaths on the roads.

The new traffic law, which came into effect on March 1, has reduced the number of traffic violations, an ROP official said.

This article has been adapted from its original source.