Curb reckless driving in Bahrain and save lives

TDT | Manama                 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Reported by Zahra Ayaz

Drivers in Bahrain are calling for stronger measures to deter reckless driving, particularly among young drivers, following an alarming rise in traffic violations and road accident-related deaths.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Bahrain, approximately 1.3 million people worldwide die from road traffic injuries each year, with more than half of these fatalities involving vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

WHO Bahrain emphasises the need for collaborative efforts to enforce speed limits, implement and enforce legislation on behavioural risk factors, and provide safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.

"It is not as bad as it used to be a couple of years ago," Badusha PK, a local driver who has been on Bahrain’s roads for nine years, told The Daily Tribune. "The roads have become bigger, and there are a lot of signals. However, there are still many accidents; even fines discourage speeding for some of us, but those who can pay still break the law."

Murad Saeed, a salesman who has been driving for three years, said: "There have been countless instances where I’ve been tailgated by young drivers in SUVs who clearly have no care in the world and drive at terrifying speeds on busy roads."

In my opinion, parents also play a significant part in this. Children who recently received their licences should be prevented from driving a vehicle when it is not necessary. " Instead of relying solely on the traffic cameras, the traffic police should pull over vehicles that are speeding as soon as possible."

"Fines are simply not enough. There need to be more safety awareness campaigns to really trigger a shift in attitudes and transform the driving culture, especially for young drivers." Another resident, who had witnessed five accidents, said in his online post on Reddit: "Drivers are impatient, follow too closely, drive too fast, and fail to obey traffic laws."