350,000 traffic violations in EP in one year

MOVING VIOLATION: Violations in the Eastern Province included crossing the red light, blurred number plates, escaping Saher and illegal parking, among others. (SPA)

DAMMAM: Over 350,000 traffic violations were recorded in one year by the General Traffic Department in the Eastern Province, 85 percent of the violators were Saudis.
Violations included crossing the red light, blurred number plates and overspeeding.
The source, who preferred to remain unnamed, said the Eastern Province occupied the third place in the Kingdom in terms of traffic violations, after the Riyadh Region and Makkah.
He said, however, that tickets for speeding went down substantially after the new regulation stipulating that vehicles get impounded if the speed reaches over 160 km per hour.
The source added the violations in the Eastern Province included crossing the red light (120,000 vehicles), blurred number plates, escaping Saher, illegal parking, car window tinting, changing the features of the vehicle, not wearing seat belts and talking on the cell phone while driving.
During the same period, over 600 vehicles were impounded; 85 percent of those belonged to Saudis.
The source said traffic violations increase every year because of reckless youths.
The Eastern Province traffic department cooperates with the Education Ministry, ARAMCO and universities in running campaigns that highlight the dangers of speeding and other violations.
The source added that those who obstruct traffic or drive in processions — usually for celebrations — will be penalized.
Traffic campaigns are being held all year round in different locations, with focus on places that register most traffic violations and at educational institutions, to raise awareness and, hopefully, lower the number of violations.
He confirmed that the majority of fatal traffic accidents happen because of speeding and crossing the red light.
More than 80 percent of traffic lights in Dammam, Alkhobar, Al-Thahrn and Al-Jubail have CCTV cameras to monitor traffic violations.
The Eastern Province registered an increase in the number of traffic accidents during the first half of this year: 2,104, compared to 2,090 during the same period last year.
Accidents took the lives of 676 people and led to 3,105 serious injuries.
The number of deaths increased by 12 percent, while serious injuries registered a 1 percent increase.
Statistics show that there is a 31 percent increase in major accidents in cities, which led to 36 percent more deaths and 27 percent more major accidents.