DAMMAM – Fasting and driving make a heady combination in this part of the world as cars can be seen zipping around carelessly on the roads with little or no regard for traffic rules. The time leading up to Iftar is a potentially dangerous one as drivers, eager to reach their destination, throw all driving sense and caution to the wind. The standards of driving are known to be erratic in the country and it only gets worse in the holy month of Ramadan.
“Drivers tend to get crankier because their sleep pattern is changed and they can’t eat or smoke during the day,” said one wary driver who has many times just missed being hit by a speeding car. “Some will be nicotine deprived. Some will be tired and most will be hungry.” At sunset, the time to break the fast, many people will be moving on the roads at once and it will be more dangerous than usual. As Ramadan winds down and Eid approaches, there will be even more traffic what with many people out on the streets shopping.
Saudi Arabia has the highest auto accident rate among all Gulf counties. Nearly 3,500 people die and 28,000 are injured in over 153,000 traffic accidents each year. Official sources attribute the causes of these crashes to aggressive driving, speeding, failure to obey traffic rules and poor car maintenance.
Traffic accidents are a significant hazard in Saudi Arabia. People are known for their poor driving habits, despite the fact that the issue of driving under the influence of alcohol does not arise given the strict ban on alcohol in line with the Islamic principles of the country.
Accidents involving vehicles driven by minors are common. Roads are filled with drivers from around the world as approximately seven million make Saudi Arabia their home and each one of them brings along a different sense of traffic to the roads. The common denominator and the number one cause is, of course, speed. Traffic accidents involving high speed are the norm.
The use of mandatory seat belts for the driver and the passenger in front is neglected by many and contributes to nearly 81 percent of deaths in car accidents.
The report also said that car accidents in the Kingdom cost the country SR13 billion each year. Gen. Fahd Al-Bishr, head of the Traffic Department, said that SR3.4 billion is spent annually on repairing vehicles, SR734 million on providing medical care to those injured in car accidents and SR326 million on administrative costs to deal with car crashes.
Saudi Arabia or the Gulf area is considered to be No.1 in car accidents in the world. Accidents by car are among the top five causes of death in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the new traffic rules that have come into effect include a point-based system and codified punishments for joy-riding.
As Ramadan progresses and days and nights get erratic with maniac-shopping, the conditions on the roads are bound to get worse. Many, however, say that Ramadan is no excuse for reckless driving. As one woman Hameeda put it: “Ramadan is a time for reflection on our faith and compassion. Driving carelessly does not gel with the doctrines of good behavior especially in the month of Ramadan. Fasting is about behavior choices and not just starving ourselves.”