Doha: To address the serious issue of traffic accidents at the Sealine area resulting from reckless dune bashing, the General Directorate of Traffic has taken a number of measures including conducting round-the-clock traffic patrols and inspection drives on shops to make them comply with safety requirements.
“The measures in this regard have taken to reduce traffic accidents in the Sealine area which also include new conditions and requirements for registration of rental shops of motorbikes, dune buggies and other vehicles used for transporting tourists,” an official of the General Directorate of Traffic told The Peninsula.
According to the Department’s statistics for 2018, the Sealine area was at fifth place in the list of areas witnessing traffic deaths. “As many as eight people lost their lives in traffic accidents in the Sealine area in 2018 while in the industrial area, 14 deaths occurred due to traffic accidents the same year.”
The official also said the plan to control accidents in the area also includes intensive awareness campaigns within the camping areas, universities and schools to educate young people about the dangers of reckless driving in Sealine.
He emphasised the need to cooperate with the relevant organisations such as Automobile Club and Mawater on the identification of appropriate recreation areas.
Regarding the causes of traffic accidents in the Sealine area, the official partially blamed parents who allow their young children to have rented buggies who are even not qualified for driving, in addition to organising unregulated drift contests that do not meet the requirements of security and safety.
Among other reasons is the absence of sign boards to caution drivers of dangerous turns and road spots.
Commenting on the traffic accidents in Sealine area, a number of social media users noted that the deaths in the Sealine area will not stop only by awareness campaigns as strict laws including doubling of existing fines were necessary to deter reckless drivers from committing the crime.
Also, they suggested, it is important to ban photo shoots of dune bashing because such photos and videos encourage young people to imitate others.
The Cabinet recently reviewed the views of some Ministries and government bodies on the recommendations of the Shura Council on traffic accidents in the State of Qatar, especially the recommendation to develop the Sealine area to reduce the rate of accidents there.