Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Sultan's School has started a campaign to raise awareness on road safety, by educating its students on the importance of wearing seat belts. “If we try to focus on schools and on reducing casualties during periods such as the holy month of Ramadan, we can make a difference,” said Anthony Cashin, principal of The Sultan's School.
Students, along with the Oman Racing Team members, distributed leaflets that listed the statistics of road accidents. They approached cars that were parking at the school and advised those that weren't buckled up to do so.
During the Eid al Fitr holidays, between September 16 and 25, there were 44 deaths and 199 injuries. These fatalities could be greatly reduced by simply wearing a seat belt, said Cashin. “In the big scheme of things, the campaign could be a way orward if we continue to hand out fliers and then take it further. Schools could form a common committee to work towards better awareness.”
To reinforce the campaign, the school has sought the help of two members of the Oman Racing Team, including its former student champion Ahmad al Harthy, who said, “Tackling road safety at schools is the way forward; it should be addressed in text books and defensive driving courses.”
“Our staff has been on duty for some time, promoting safety in the car parking. One of the major problems is that children who are rarely buckled up, are on their mother laps or sitting in the front seat,” said Cashin. “If an accident doesn't kill the children, then the air bag will. It's so dangerous, I get shivers when I see that. We need to kick up the safety campaign along with the government and the ministries. It will take time, but it will work,” said Harthy.
“I always wear my seat belt and think students should understand its importance. I think they will remember the disturbance we caused this morning and act upon it,” said Saeed al Aufy, head boy at The Sultan's School.
“Being a racing car driver has made me realise how important it is to drive safely. We learn from the race track that you can't race until you are safe, and you shouldn't be able to drive until you are buckled up as well,” said Harthy.
Oman holds first national road safety workshop (11-06-2009)
The first national workshop on road safety in Oman was held 9-10 June, under the auspices of H.E. Lieutenant General Malik bin Suleiman Al Mamari, Inspector General of Police and Customs, at the Grand Hyatt in Muscat.
Government representatives, business people, and members of the civil society came together, with the support of Shell Oman and GRSP, to review the road safety situation and create a national framework for future road safety interventions and programmes.
Oman has witnessed a significant increase in road traffic deaths and injuries over the past few years with 951 deaths in 2008 as opposed to 798 in 2007 and 681 in 2006.
Participants supported the establishment of the Oman Road Safety Association, a national non-governmental organization, to coordinate and synchronize efforts of the different stakeholders.
"Oman is fortunate because a lot has been done already and we have the support of government agencies, the private sector, and the civil society," said H.E. Dr. Waheed Al Kharusi, Chairman of the formation committee of the Oman Road Safety Association. "Justice will come only when those who are not injured by crashes are as indignant as those who are."
Government representatives, business people, and members of the civil society came together, with the support of Shell Oman and GRSP, to review the road safety situation and create a national framework for future road safety interventions and programmes.
Oman has witnessed a significant increase in road traffic deaths and injuries over the past few years with 951 deaths in 2008 as opposed to 798 in 2007 and 681 in 2006.
Participants supported the establishment of the Oman Road Safety Association, a national non-governmental organization, to coordinate and synchronize efforts of the different stakeholders.
"Oman is fortunate because a lot has been done already and we have the support of government agencies, the private sector, and the civil society," said H.E. Dr. Waheed Al Kharusi, Chairman of the formation committee of the Oman Road Safety Association. "Justice will come only when those who are not injured by crashes are as indignant as those who are."
3 Galfar oil workers die in bus crash
Three oilfield workers were killed and 57 others injured in crash in Qarn Alam early Saturday, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and Galfar announced in a joint statement. The dead and injured were travelling in a company bus which failed to stop at a T-junction close to the Galfar Camp and was hit by a truck travelling from the left.
3 passengers perish in high-speed crash
A driver survived a high-speed crash which killed all 3 of his passengers near Imti bridge in Ad Dakhiliyya at 8.40am Sunday April 6. The crash occurred when the driver heading from Muscat in the direction of Nizwa lost control of his speeding vehicle, swerved to the left hitting the metal road-side barrier, then a lamppost. 6 other people were injured including the driver who sustained moderate injury.
Reckless overtaking kills driver and 2 passengers in wilayet of Nizwa
A driver died along with his 2 passengers at 8.00am Wednesday April 23 while heading from Firq to Birkat Al Moz. The crash occurred when he misjudged the distance overtaking and was unable to swerve out of the path of oncoming traffic hitting one car head-on and causing it to swerve into a third. The drivers of the other two vehicles were injured.
Family of 8 decimated in Al Sharqiyya head-on collision
A horrific crash just after midnight on Thursday left 5 members of one family dead and 3 others gravely injured in the wilayet of Al Qabil. The family were travelling in a vehicle from Bidiyya to Ibra when they were hit head-on by a driver overtaking in the opposite direction. The driver at fault was injured as was the driver and 2 of the passengers in the other vehicle where the 5 died.
6 killed in head-on collision in Thumrait
A horrific head-on collision on the Thumrait highway at 9.25pm on Wednesday left both drivers and 4 of their passengers dead and 1 gravely injured. The crash occurred when the first vehicle travelling in the direction of Salalah from the north unexpectedly met with a second vehicle in his lane recklessly overtaking from the opposite direction. Due to the proximity of the vehicles, they collided head-on instantly killing the driver and all 3 members of his family in the first vehicle and the driver and 1 of his passengers in the second vehicle. A second passenger remained gravely injured.
6 killed in Al Jabal Al Akhdar over Eid al-Fitr
A horrendous crash in Al Jabal Al Akhdar during the Eid holidays left 16 members of a single family dead or injured. The crash occurred when the vehicle in which they were travelling began the descent of the Jabal. According to the Royal Oman Police report, the driver swerved to the left hitting a metal barrier then crashed into the mountain. The surviving occupants suffered moderate to grave injuries.
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