The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has put road safety as one pillar of its National Transformation Programme (NTP) toward a bold and ambitious social and economic reform plan, Vision 2030. Reports show that the country aims to reduce the number of road traffic fatality to less than10 per 100 000 by 2030.[1] As of 2016,when the NTP began, Saudi Arabia had a road traffic fatality rate of 28.8 per 100 000 population, which was higher than the average rate in low-income countries (24.1 per 100 000) and more than triple the average rate in high-income countries. The economic consequences are also enormous, at an estimated US$3.75 billion, roughly 2% of national gross domestic product.
The National Ministerial Traffic Safety Committee (NMTSC), established in 2018, embodies the strong national commitment to address this problem by overseeing the implementation of a 4-year national road safety strategy, which established collaborative relationships between the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior and other relevant stakeholders for joint actions to address the multiple determinants of road traffic accidents. WHO has given a solid impetus for achieving the national road safety strategy goals in various ways.
First, WHO developed a multidimensional road safety assessment tool to support the NMTSC in conducting a situation analysis and making recommendations, following the five pillars of the WHO global plan for road safety, the Global Plan of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.[2] Following a recommendation from the situational analysis, WHO supported the review and alignment of Saudi’s road safety laws and legislative frameworks with the WHO road safety legislative change model.
As part of the Vision 2030 smart cities’ design and the quality of life programmes, WHO also provides technical support to strengthen post-injury care, including disability and rehabilitation services. In the same vein, WHO also supports a review of Saudi’s emergency care system using the WHO Emergency Care System Assessment (ECSA) tool to generate action priorities for further system development, especially at the primary health care level. Engagement with insurance companies is ongoing to incentivise payment for such care costs and play a more active role in national efforts toward road safety.
WHO supports Saudi Arabia’s engagement in global road safety dialogues by guiding the country on WHO mechanisms and processes for documenting country efforts and achievements as a case of best practice to be shared with other countries globally. Through the support, Saudi assumed membership of the WHO Member States advisory group of the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety and is now playing a more active role in the newly established UN Road Safety Trust Fund, including becoming a signatory to UN Road Safety Conventions. Saudi Arabia also supported a recently passed resolution at the UN General Assembly to reduce global road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50% from 2021 to 2030.[3]
The reported incidence of road traffic injuries has reduced remarkably in the few years since the WHO began supporting Saudi Arabia’s road safety vision. Between 2016 and 2018, the number of accidents decreased by 25%, from 17 632 to 13 221,and related injuries fell by 25.5%, from 14 481 to 10 755.
Strategies implemented in this period have been evidenced-based, in line with the WHO global road safety plan, the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020. Saudi’s experience in turning the tide against road traffic accidents demonstrates that comprehensive government initiatives that utilise evidence-based interventions can produce notable results.
[1]. Arab news. KSA’s traffic accident deaths, injuries decrease in 2018 (arabnews.com). Accessed online at https://www.arabnews.com/node/1465286/saudi-arabia
[2]. The WHO global road safety plan, the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, includes five pillars: road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users and post-crash response. Available online at WHO | Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020
[3]. United Nations General Assembly Draft resolution on improving global road safety. Available online https://www.un.org/pga/74/wp-content/uploads/sites/99/2020/08/Draft-Resolution-Road-Safety.pdf
Photo caption: Data dashboard displayed at Saudi Red Crescent Authority head office, Riyadh.
Photo credit: WHO
