Official stats: Traffic accidents rose in 2007 [Archives:2008/1119/Local News]
SANA'A, Jan. 9 ) The General Traffic Administration's most recent report for the period December 2006 through December 2007 reveals an increase in traffic accidents.
The governmental body's Deputy General Director Salim Awad stated that according to its latest official statistics, there were 10,439 traffic accidents nationwide, killing 2,892 and injuring 20,224.
Such accidents claimed the lives of 50 children – 30 boys and 20 girls – in addition to 2,436 men and 406 women. Some 9,619 citizens were injured seriously, some of them fatally, while 10,605 sustained only minor injuries.
Total financial losses from traffic accidents in 2007 were more than YR 3.6 billion.
To solve this problem and decrease the instance of traffic accidents, Yemen's Interior Ministry, in cooperation with the private sector, will begin instituting a mechanical checkpoint project for all types of transportation, whereby, “Owners of any mode of transportation will be obliged to check their equipment,” Awad explained.
He further clarified that, in most cases, the primary reason for the increase in traffic accidents was faulty or unqualified tires due to the fact that most imported tires aren't up to standards.
Traffic accidents have been on the rise, causing more injuries and taking more lives. Yemen's deteriorating roads, especially those linking its governorates with the nation's main cities, play a part in increasing such tragedies, which ensure much pain and suffering for those injured.
Additionally, Awad noted, “There's a lack of traffic signs, especially on Yemen's main roads. Such signs help drivers determine their direction.”
Official figures show that more than 2,000 people die annually in traffic accidents in Yemen.
The nation's General Traffic Administration specifically attributes the increased number of accidents to eid holidays due to crowded roads – especially those between the major cities and various Yemeni governorates – by an increased numbers of citizens traveling to their native or ancestral villages.
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