Road death rate in Qatar falls by 61% in a decade

Research undertaken by the Hamad Trauma Centre (HTC) shows that the road death rate in Qatar fell by 61% per 100,000 population in the decade from 2011 to 2020, the period of the first Decade of Action for Road Safety (DoARS) organised by the UN Road Safety Collaboration.The research, which analysed national road traffic injury (RTI) and Qatar National Trauma Registry statistics from 2011 to 2020, was presented by Dr Hassan al-Thani, head of Trauma Services at Hamad Medical Corporation's Hamad Trauma Centre, at a recent event organised by the National Traffic Safety Committee to mark the launch of the second DoARS.“The goal of the first DoARS was to halt or reverse the predicted increase in road traffic fatalities around the world and was based on concerted national efforts that applied the five-pillar approach: Road Safety Management, Safer Roads and Mobility, Safer Vehicles, Safer Road Users and Post-Crash Response,” explained Dr al-Thani.“The 61% reduction in road deaths per 100,000 population in Qatar is an incredible achievement and this success is anchored on the planning and co-ordination work done by the National Traffic Safety Committee and Traffic Directorate at the Ministry of Interior, and multi-disciplinary partnerships with the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Public Works Authority (Ashghal), Qatar University Transportation and Traffic Safety Centre and Hamad Trauma Centre," he added.Speaking at the event, Brig-Gen Mohamed al-Malki, general secretary of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said: “On this day that we launch the second Decade of Action for Road Safety, the National Traffic Safety Committee and all of its multi-sectoral stakeholders for road safety in Qatar re-commit ourselves to making our roads safer for all road users. We thank all our partners for their contributions and look forward to continuing to coordinate efforts throughout the next decade in collaboration with our local andglobal partners.”

Dr Rafael Consunji

The Hamad Trauma Centre’s research found that while the population of Qatar increased by around 70% from 2011 to 2020, there was a 61% reduction in the rate of road deaths per 100,000 population. It is estimated that as many as 858 potential road deaths were prevented from 2011 to 2020 due to the co-ordinated efforts for DoARS. The majority, 80%, of these road deaths still occurred in the pre-hospital setting, at the scene of the crash before reaching the trauma centre.“These pre-hospital deaths highlight the need for more consistent and stringent enforcement of speed limits. By reducing the speed of impact, the excess force on impact that causes death at the scene of the crash is greatly reduced. The mandatory use of seatbelts and child car seats prevent impact within the vehicle and/or ejection from the vehicle, which are both identified as leading causes of death or severe injury in a crash,” said Dr Rafael Consunji, director of the Hamad Injury Prevention Programme and lead author of the study.“The goal of the second DoARS is to continue to reduce road traffic deaths during between 2021 and 2030. Clearly, we must continue to implement all of the multidisciplinary efforts that have been so successful to date in Qatar in order to do this. In addition, we must focus on new but proven interventions that can further reduce pre-hospital deaths and address not only the usual causes but also motorcyclist injuries and other emerging modes of transport, like e-scooters,” added Dr Consunji.In commemoration of the launch of the second DoARS, Dr Sandro Rizoli, medical director of Trauma Services at HTC, said: “The Hamad Trauma Centre acknowledges the great advancements in road safety in Qatar during the first DoARS but we are committed to continuing our efforts and will not rest. The HTC will continue to provide the best post-crash care for all victims with RTIs and continue to collaborate with all multi-disciplinary efforts to make Qatar safer for all road users.”