The role of traffic laws in reducing road accidents
MUSCAT: The State Council will organise a seminar on the role of traffic law in reducing accidents and saving lives and property on Monday at the Council premises. The event will showcase several unique approaches to traffic safety and methods for reducing risk and liability.
This initiative is part of its activities related to its participation in this year’s national traffic safety competition.
“State Council’s participation is based on the conviction that it should contribute to enhancing awareness of traffic safety and promote a culture of safety on the roads,” said Altaf bint Omar al Marhoon (pictured), Assistant Secretary-General for Information and Research Centre and Head of the Working Group for Participation in the Traffic Safety Competition.
It also aims to strengthen its main role as a legislative and regulatory institution that contributes effectively to the development process.
Further on, she added, “The Council has earlier participated in a similar competition, which was aimed at reducing traffic accidents and avoiding its catastrophic consequences on the country’s human resources and economic loss by increasing traffic awareness. This comes within the framework of implementing the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos which stresses the need for all to assume their responsibilities to address the risk of traffic accidents.”
Altaf pointed out that the participation of the State Council in the traffic safety competition this year is complementary to the efforts made in its previous participation. It is characterised by its diversity and multiple activities initiated to achieve its desired objective of deepening traffic awareness and instil a culture of traffic safety in the community by adopting various means.
She pointed out that within the scope of the competition participation; the Council has documented a book pertaining to the legal aspects of traffic safety, which explains the provisions of the Traffic Law and its regulations in an interactive manner for the readers who are not well acquainted with the prevalent law. The Council has produced awareness films for children and youth to inculcate and disseminate the concepts of traffic safety in all segments of society, and highlight the negative consequences of violation of traffic regulations.
Yet another initiate is the initiation of a competition for children and adults and the dissemination of awareness messages from the chairman and the honourable members of the Council through the social media platform.
Messages to generate awareness are also being sent to the Council employees on a weekly basis.
At the conclusion of her statement, Altaf al Marhoon said that the seminar would discuss a number of aspects that aimed at highlighting the magnitude of traffic accidents and the resulting economic and social consequences.
It will shed light on the programmes being initiated to reduce reduction of accidents, programmes and methods of awareness of traffic safety, and the role of society in promoting road safety, youth initiatives and their role in reducing the incidence of traffic accidents.
She said that a number of specialists who present several working papers would attend the seminar. It will also be accompanied by a traffic safety exhibition with the participation of a number of governmental and private bodies and civil society institutions.
Al Marhoon expressed the hope that the Council’s participation in the road safety competition will contribute to enhancing efforts to raise awareness and disseminate traffic culture in the community.