Friday 15 / November / 2024
Muscat: “Speed cameras on poles are not the only way we catch speeders.”
That was the stark warning from the Royal Oman Police (ROP) to drivers in the Sultanate who think they can outsmart the law.
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Traffic officers in Oman are employing a range of measures to tackle speeding on roads, a senior ROP official has confirmed.
The official declined to specify the latest tools being used by traffic officers but added: “There’s a simple solution – don’t speed.”
One video posted recently on social media purports to show officers inside a patrol car on the move while a fixed camera flashes drivers speeding towards them from the opposite direction.
Many drivers have taken to social media to report fines lodged against them for speeding with some questioning how they are being caught – when they deliberately slow down as they approach static pole cameras in an attempt to evade capture.
One driver said: “You see it every single hour of every day – drivers flying along who then slam on the brakes 100ft before the static pole cameras. That’s even more dangerous for the cars travelling behind them and shows that they think they can outsmart the cameras. If mobile cameras are being deployed, that means we will all have to stick to the limits.”
In 2016, speeding was the cause of more than half of Oman’s traffic accidents, injuries and deaths, according to a recently released National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) report.
The year in total saw 4,721 accidents, with 692 people losing their lives due to car-related accidents. Speeding topped the list as the cause of 2,499 accidents, 2052 injuries, and 378 deaths.
Ali Al Barwani, head of Oman Road Safety Association, reacted positively to new measures to catch speeders, adding that information regarding any new devices, if made public, would create a deterrent effect.
“We welcome any new measures, but mostly we welcome all knowledge of these measures, so that they are actually effective in deterring people who speed on the road,” he said.
“There are new devices that are being tested, as far as I know, but in order to subdue any kind of rumours going around, there should be clear information about any means to limit speeding. This would reduce assumptions by drivers, especially those not committed to road safety ethics.”
There is no better ideal than awareness, and full knowledge by the community on the measures in place,” Al Barwani added.
Another road safety expert, Neelesh Sogani, has also welcomed the statement by the ROP.
“This is a good initiative as drivers have a habit of being cautious at the radar, and once they cross it, they become reckless again. This causes more danger to the road users. “If hidden devices are used, then drivers will always be cautious and will follow road safety rules religiously.
This will be an effective move and shall improve the road safety performance in Oman,” he said.
Sogani added that beyond legal consequences, drivers must see the moral ramifications of their actions.“Drivers have to realise their importance, and need to understand their moral responsibilities towards themselves and families.
A single mistake by a driver can cause a huge impact on individuals, family and society. “It’s only the driver and his behaviour that can make the roads a safe place. Otherwise, you can put a thousand rules and mechanisms, but without moral responsibility, harm cannot be avoided,” Sogani added.
