It’s time to put the brakes on reckless driving

Despite best efforts by traffic authorities, road accidents and casualties remain high in the country. A large number of accidents are caused by reckless drivers who seem to have scant regard for traffic rules in the country.

The Traffic Department, under the Ministry of Interior (MoI), has placed heavy fines and stringent punishment to curb road accidents.  Sadly though, it has not come as a deterrent to some reckless drivers.

Compared with many other countries with similar geography and economic conditions, many reasons have been cited for higher number of road accidents in Qatar. But the key fact remains Qatar’s roads have more vehicles than they are actually capable of holding.

Currently, there are some 879,039 cars on Qatar’s roads, more than 200,000 vehicles in 2010, according to MoI figures. With the population growing significantly, those numbers don’t look like going down anytime soon. The number of accidents resulting in injuries has also jumped some 12% last year, in excess of 4,000 incidents.

In the last few years, Qatar has relaxed requirements on expatriates seeking driver’s licences by removing a requirement related to sponsor’s permission.

It may be in this context that a proposal has now been  mooted to restrict issuing driver’s licences to some category of expatriates.

The move has a precedent in nearby Kuwait, where expatriates with a university degree and who earn a minimum monthly salary of $1,400 only are allowed to obtain driver’s licences.

But whether such curbs will have the desired results here remain to be seen.

Many experts have warned that roundabouts are among the “highly vulnerable” spots in the country.

In recent years, many roundabouts have been turned into intersections with light signals. Efforts must be expedited to convert the remaining roundabouts into intersections too.

Staggering work hours for government employees, shifting commercial activities to outside of Doha and building multi-level parking lots throughout the city are among the recommendations that have been made by a high-level task force to ease traffic flow.

Dedicated tracks for cyclists can be considered in high-risk zones in the country. Displaying mishap-related figures and other relevant traffic data, preferably on a weekly basis at busy thoroughfares, can be a deterrent.  

Prioritising these ideas, as well as focusing on developing roads and further strengthening the affordable public transport system would help end traffic woes in Qatar.

But the success of these measures will largely depend on the co-operation extended by drivers themselves.

First and foremost, we must all commit ourselves to fully observing the country’s traffic rules and regulations. Reckless driving puts at risk our lives as well as that of others.

The use of mobile phones by those at the wheels must be dealt with sternly. Many accidents are caused by drivers who are distracted by mobiles  and other electronic gadgets.

And wearing seat belts should not be an option. It is compulsory and must be complied with.