Bahraini drivers cause majority of accidents
Manama : The latest statistics about the traffic accidents in the country have blamed Bahraini drivers as they caused majority of the road accidents last year.
According to a report published by the General Directorate of Traffic yesterday, about 66.46pc of the accidents in the Kingdom were caused by Bahraini drivers.
“Indian nationals caused 253 accidents (9.97 pc), Pakistanis 135 (5.32 pc), Bangladeshis 168 (6.58 pc) and Saudi nationals 87 (3.43 pc),” it revealed.
“People in Bahrain generally tend to pass the buck on expatriates in most accident cases. They also claim that expats are bad drivers. However, latest statistics revealed that 1,686 (66.46 pc) accidents last year were caused when Bahrainis were behind the wheel,” Traffic Culture Director Lt. Col Osama Bahar at General Directorate of Traffic was quoted as saying by Interior Ministry’s publication Al Amn.
“Only 210 people of other nationalities were behind the wheel when road accidents involving them occurred,” he noted, adding: “We have several awareness programmes, which are being implemented and these will make a difference.”
He also said that men caused more accidents than women drivers. “Last year, 809 male drivers (75.19 pc) and 267 (24.81 pc) female drivers involved in accidents. Around 266 men were seriously injured compared to 34 women while 506 men and 267 women sustained minor injuries,” he explained.
According to him, the newly installed hi-tech cameras have been effective in detecting traffic violations.
“We have been able to detect major violations, especially those over speeding and using mobile phones while driving,” he said.
“Within one month after the cameras being activated, 66 drivers had been referred to the Public Prosecution for over speeding while 17 other violators were referred to traffic violations section for legal action,” the official added.
Traffic Culture Director Lt. Col Osama Bahar
‘No gaming at wheel’
With the ‘Pokemon Go’ game becoming a rage in the Kingdom, authorities have warned motorists of playing it while driving. The game has been added to the list of “distractions” for the driver.
Commenting that people should not be distracted by it while driving, Traffic Culture Director Lt. Col Osama Bahar said, “This is even more dangerous than other apps that people use while driving. Those who follow Pokemons while driving would tend to stop suddenly and go after these creatures. This can endanger other motorists and the players themselves,” he said.
“This game probably has its benefits since it encourages people to walk and look for Pokemon but trouble begins when drivers start to play. We advise all not to play while driving,” he noted.
According to him, there are three distractions the driver faces while playing it. “Visual distraction-- this happens when drivers look away from the road. Manual and physical distraction-- when drivers tend to move their hands away from the wheel, and finally, mental distraction-- when the drivers are not paying attention to the road,” he added.
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