DOHA: The number of deaths occurred from road traffic injuries has dropped by 40 percent during this year’s holy month of Ramadan compared to 2013, according to Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
The considerable drop is due to public awareness campaigns and increased traffic law enforcement, said a statement by the Hamad Injury Prevention Programme’s analysis of HMC mortuary and trauma registry data.
“The 40 percent reduction in road deaths this Ramadan means that 12 lives were saved and 12 families were able to fully enjoy the holy month together,” said Dr Hassan Al Thani, Head of Trauma Surgery at HGH Level I Trauma Center.
“It is especially encouraging that there were very significant reductions in deaths among children and young Qatari men. The results show that families can play an important role in protecting these groups who are at the highest risk of dying from road traffic accidents.”
The Hamad Injury Prevention Programme (HIPP) is the community outreach arm of Hamad General Hospital’s (HGH) Trauma Surgery Section.
HIPP has also revealed that during this Ramadan there was 73 percent reduction in deaths among young road users (aged 30 and below), 68 percent reduction in pre-hospital deaths or deaths occurring before the victim reaches the hospital, 64 percent reduction in deaths among young male Qataris and 64 percent reduction in deaths among children (18 and below).
Earlier in July HMC said that during 2013 Ramadan, 31 deaths were reported from injuries sustained on roads, including passenger, driver and pedestrian victims. Majority of deaths have occurred at the scene of the accidents due to serious injuries. Majority of fatalities were males, with 23 percent being children under 18 and more than 70 percent of fatalities were younger than 30. And victims from GCC countries were much younger with an average age of 20 than expats with an average age of 31 and comprised over half of all fatalities.
During the holy month of Ramadan this year, HMC’s Trauma Center, HGH senior management team and other key stakeholders in public health and road safety, embarked on campaigns to increase public awareness of the importance of safe road practices. “If parents continue to serve as role models for our younger road users, by always wearing their seatbelts, not using their mobile phones while driving, and following road traffic rules which are designed to ensure road safety, then we will see sustained reductions in the number of road deaths in Qatar well beyond Ramadan,” said Dr Al Thani.
Dr Rafael Consunji, Director of the HIPP said: “A combination of improved road engineering, the timely arrival of pre-hospital care and the reduced severity of the crashes are recognised as key external factors in the reduction of pre-hospital road deaths.”
He stressed that driving within speed limits, always wearing a seatbelt, using properly inflated tires and not driving while distracted by mobile phone, are all personal practices proven to reduce the risk of being involved in a severe car crash.
The Peninsula
