Investigate Road Accidents in Saudi Arabia

Running head: ROAD ACCIDENTS IN SAUDI ARABIA 1
Investigate Road Accidents in Saudi Arabia
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Road Accidents in Saudi Arabia 2
Abstract
This research is an investigation into road traffic accidents in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. Road transport is an essential mode of transport across the world. The Kingdom depends
on road transport. The heavy reliance on this mode of transport is observed to have necessitated
the rise of RTAs (road traffic accidents). It was observed that worldwide, 1.35 million people
have died from road accidents including Saudi Arabia. These statistics lay a background for
research to help understand RTAs situation in KSA. Apart from loss of lives due to road
accidents, the research will investigate the economic impact on these tragedies. The existing data
shows that KSA has been spending nearly 4% of the country GDP on treating and rehabilitating
the RTAs victims. The financial resources spent on RTAs victims could be directed to other
sectors of the economy. The literature review carried out in the research proposal shows that
reckless and novice driving, drunk driving and inadequate observance of traffic rules and
regulations have been at the center of road accidents in KSA. To investigate the major causes of
road accident interviews, questionnaires, observations and analysis of literature shall be
explored. This will give relevant information that will inform the government, road users and
authorities to get possible ways of ending road tragedies to save lives, finances and reduce
economic impact of RTAs.
Contents

Road Accidents in Saudi Arabia 3
Investigate Road Accidents in Saudi Arabia...................................................................................3
Rationale and Aim...........................................................................................................................3
Literature Review............................................................................................................................6
Research of Questions...................................................................................................................11
Scope..........................................................................................................................................11
Methodology..................................................................................................................................12
Analysis and Calculations..............................................................................................................13
Ethical Issues.................................................................................................................................15
Conclusion/Recommendations......................................................................................................17
References......................................................................................................................................20

Road Accidents in Saudi Arabia 4
Investigate Road Accidents in Saudi Arabia
Rationale and Aim
Road transport is a crucial sector in the development of any country in the world. Road
interconnectivity opens up remote areas and connects them to urban areas, efficiently improves
the city to city accessibility. In a generation that is accustomed to fast business growth and
inventions, the role, investment, and development of road transport cannot be ignored. It is
considered to be a cheaper, flexible yet closest means of transport as many people know how to
drive a motor vehicle. Road accidents are one of the leading causes of injuries and deaths in the
world. In 2016, the total deaths arising from road accidents around the globe were 1.35 million.
Every year, more than 30 million people worldwide are injured on our roads. Most of these
injuries require specialized treatment which may be very expensive to many families. The cost of
treating these injuries consumes about 4% of the country GDP (WHO, 2018). These statistics are
a clear indication of the urgency of the matter.
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in road transport. According to the
Ministry of Transport, the nation has constructed a total of 71,500 kilometers of the road leading
to cities, ports, airports and railway stations and more than 5,000 kilometers of bridges. Plans are
underway to construct an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) throughout the country (Ministry of
Transport, 2019). Such has been supported by the fact that fuel is readily available in Saudi
Arabia at low prices. This has helped streamline business operations around the country. For
example, Jeddah is one of the cities that has increased in recent years. Such growth is widely
associated with improved road connectivity to neighboring towns. Jeddah has efficient highways
connecting it to Tabuk, Sakaka, Mecca, and Hayil among other major cities in the country.

Road Accidents in Saudi Arabia 5
Considering that most people in Saudi are scattered in the mountains, deserts, dunes and the
valleys, road transport is of more importance than any other means of transportation. The
kingdom has the initiative to construct roads linking major urban centers to rural areas thereby
improving communication development in the entire territory (Aljoufie, Zuidgeest, Brussel &
Maarseveen, 2013). These findings indicate the importance of road transport in the country as
opposed to other means of transportation. It is therefore very critical that the government is
aware of the effects of road transport on the social, physical and economic impacts on its
population.
One of the outcomes of the road networks in Saudi has been road accidents. Road
accident fatalities in Saudi Arabia accounts for more than 4.7% of all deaths while road accident
fatalities in countries like the United States of America and Australia record less 1.7% annually.
The trend is set to increase in the coming years. Road accident deaths over the last ten years have
increased from 17% to 24% for every population of about 100,000 people. These fatalities are
most severe in rich states and have claimed the lives of youths aged between 16 to 30 years. The
current road accident death ration stands at 8:6 compared to the international ration of 8:2
(Mansuri, Al-Zalabani, Zalat, & Qabshawi, 2015). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia spends more
than 6 billion dollars on treating and rehabilitating road accident victims. This is around 5% of
the country’s total expenditure in a fiscal year (DeNicola, Aburizaize, Siddique, Khwaja,
Carpenter, 2016). In government hospitals, more than a fifth of the bed capacity is occupied by
road accident victims, and almost all of these victims die while receiving treatment due to the
seriousness of the injuries. Most of the injuries got in a road accident are neck and brain injuries,
not forgetting internal bleeding of critical organs of the body.

Road Accidents in Saudi Arabia 6
One of the reasons to study this to undertake this study is because of the increasing
financial burden left to the country and family of the victim. Families have to spend vast
amounts of money on the treatment of their loved ones. Considering that most of the accident
victims in Saudi Arabia are youths less than 35 years who were probably the breadwinners in the
family, these families are left financially stricken with no one to provide for them. Not only is
this impact felt at the family level, but also at the national level. These young people play a vital
role in the growth of the country’s economy. On the other hand, the government has to spend
vast amounts of money on providing healthcare infrastructure for accident victims, for example,
in improving emergency services of road victims and constructing special wards for them.
In addition to that, the loss of a person is a societal loss. It causes unwanted grief and
trauma among the people, and the ripple effects are sometimes catastrophic. For example, it
could lead to clinical depression upon family members and friends of the deceased. To the
extreme, it is occasionally suicidal. According to DeNicola et al. (2016), 0.09% of road accidents
in Saudi Arabia are caused by drug and substance abuse. There is a possibility that this is a ripple
effect of previous accidents which led to substance abuse of the bereaved hence more accidents.
The ever-rising road accidents in this country raise the debate of the government’s
contribution to these deaths. It is unexpected that a country with such fascinating roads and low
fuel prices would record one of the most road traffic accidents. This raises the question of
whether the roads are well designed. The curriculum by the Ministry of Transportation to train
drivers is also questionable. Complacency in the implementation of traffic laws by country’s
traffic and safety authority is viable. On the other side, cultural issues in Saudi Arabia like drink
driving, use of electronic gadgets while driving and over speeding contribute to this menace.