Riyadh records 1.4 million traffic offenses in 6 months

A shocking 1.4 million traffic violations, including speeding, unauthorized turning and ignoring of traffic signals were reported in Riyadh in the first half of this year. This translates into 7,000 traffic offenses a day.
Director of Riyadh Traffic Police Col. Ali Al-Dibaikhi told a local Arabic daily that police recorded over 2.6 million traffic offenses during the whole of last year.
He said the traffic violations included driving without licenses or car registration documents, reversing in traffic, unidentifiable registration plates, erroneous overtaking, drifting, not fastening safety belts, irregular parking, window tinting, unauthorized transport of passengers and use of mobile phones during driving.
Al-Dibaikhi said recruits were drafted in to help ensure smooth traffic flow and minimize traffic accidents. The Ministry of Interior had provided the police force with advanced technology and know-how to deal with accidents promptly.
The Command and Control Center (CCC) at the Riyadh Traffic Department is equipped with modern technology to determine accident locations based on calls received. The CCC would then direct the nearest traffic officers to the accident scenes, thus reducing response time, he said.
The CCC can also monitor the efforts of the traffic police throughout operations and use this data to address any staff shortcomings, he said.
Al-Dibaikhi said the Traffic Department has allocated a special number to receive calls or SMS messages from people with special needs. Teams are immediately dispatched to help these people.
On drifting, the officer said the department had managed to reduce this phenomenon by sending secret police units to “infiltrate the world of young people.” These officers communicate with the youths using smartphones to determine the locations of these events. The police would then arrest joyriders and spectators and seize their cars.
The Traffic Department, in collaboration with Riyadh Municipality and other agencies, has introduced changes on major roads and intersections to ease traffic congestion, particularly during peak hours.
On preparations for Ramadan, Al-Dibaikhi said some 600 traffic policemen and 550 regular and secret patrols would be deployed around the clock at major roads and mosques, which are likely to see heavy traffic during the month.