ShareNearly half drivers unaware that fleeing scene is illegal
- 110,892 accidents in 2015, resulting in 429 deaths- 2,437 people died in traffic accidents in the five years ending April 26, 2016
- Road deaths dropped from 493 in 2011 and 461 in 2014 to 429 in 2015
- People aged between 21 and 30 years suffered the highest fatality rate in 2015
- Exceeding the speed limit was blamed for just 0.46 percent of fatalities in 2015
- Lack of attention while driving caused 95 percent of accidents in 2015
- 6,338,066 traffic violations were registered in 2015
- Driving is an art and requires good manners
KUWAIT: File photo released by the Interior Ministry showing traffic accidents reported this year around Kuwait.Almost half of all hit-and-run drivers claim that they were not aware that they were breaking the law by failing to stop. The findings will alarm police at a time when the number of hit-and-run accidents is at a three-year high.
"In 2015, a total of 110,892 traffic accidents were recorded, resulting in the death of 429 people," Head of the Public Relations and Traffic Awareness Department Lt Col Nawaf Al-Hayan noted. He said the traffic sector works to ensure the safety of road users through the deployment of field patrols round-the-clock and applying the law to everyone without exception. He also said strict traffic campaigns will continue to be organized in all governorates to punish violators of traffic laws.
Law enforcement
Hayan stressed the importance of enforcing the law to deter offenders and protect the lives of road users, motorists and pedestrians. "Everyone must be aware that driving is an art and requires good manners to achieve the desired goals to reduce traffic accidents, which cast a gloomy shadow on individuals and the society and cost the nation to treat the injured in hospitals, which ultimately has an impact on the economy of the state and on families," he added.
On the use of emergency lanes on certain roads, Hayan reiterated it is permitted to drive on the left shoulder only under certain circumstances as specified by the General Traffic Department. He said the speed limit should not exceed 45 km/hour and the lane can be used only during peak hours or from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. On another note, he said 146,859 traffic citations were recorded against motorists for not complying with rules regulating driving on the left shoulder lane, while 4,291 offenders were punished for driving on the right shoulder.
High rate
Kuwait marks one of the highest rates of traffic accidents in the world, though it has seen a slight decline in recent years. A total of 2,437 people died in traffic accidents in the five years ending April 26, 2016, according to a statistical report produced by the Ministry of Interior. The report states that the number of road deaths dropped from 493 in 2011 and 461 in 2014 to 429 in 2015. The data also showed that traffic fatalities totaled 454 in 2012, compared to 445 in 2013.
Some 155 people died in road accidents in the first four months of 2016, noted the report. It stated that the highest number of fatalities recorded this year was in Ahmadi governorate (53 cases), followed by Jahra (52), Hawally (20), Farwaniya (13), Capital (12) and Mubarak Al-Kabeer (5). In 2015, Ahmadi governorate also topped the list with 167 fatalities, followed by Jahra with 122, Farwaniya (54), Hawally (31) Mubarak Al-Kabeer (28) and Capital (27).
Youth are number one victims
The report revealed that that people aged between 21 and 30 years suffered the highest fatality rate in 2015, accounting for 119 of 429 of recorded deaths. Ninety victims were aged between 31 and 40, 73 between 41 and 50, 40 between 51 and 60, while 25 were aged over 61. There were 19 fatality cases amongst the 0-10 group and 60 amongst those aged 11 to 20.
Data also showed that 80,827 accidents were registered in 2015. A lack of attention while driving caused 95 percent of those accidents, stated the report. Surprisingly, exceeding the speed limit was blamed for a tiny fraction of fatalities in 2015 - just 0.46 percent. The report added that 6,338,066 traffic violations were registered in 2015, including 3,523,241 speeding violations, 1.1 million parking violations, 533,931 driving license-related violations, 363,584 for running the red light and 205,872 safety violations.
By Faten Omar
