Improving Road Safety
in the OIC Member States
161
fatalities per 100.000 people, which is quite high compared to other countries (World Health
Organisation, 2015b).
The vehicle population in Oman comprises primarily 4-wheeled light vehicles (84%) with the
rest of the vehicles being buses, trucks and motorised 2 and 3-wheelers. Compared to other
Islamic countries in Asia and Africa, Oman has a very low percentage (0,5%) of registered
motorized 2- and 3-wheelers (World Health Organisation, 2015b).
The Sultanate of Oman is an oil rich Arabian Gulf country. The abundance of oil and gas and the
high oil prices changed the economy and life style of the people of Arabian Gulf countries,
including Oman, as the GDP and the per capita income grew rapidly grew. With a gross per capita
national income of 25,150 US dollars (Mazharul Islam & Al Hadhrami, 2012; World Health
Organisation, 2015b), the country is considered a high income country by the WHO.
Road safety data
The Royal Oman Police is the sole authority responsible for recording, analysing and publishing
data related to traffic accidents in Oman. However, like in most countries, not all crashes are
reported and it is likely that the actual numbers of crashes are higher than reported by the Royal
Oman Police. A lot of minor accidents cases are settled by the parties mutually at the scene so
no report is made (Mazharul Islam & Al Hadhrami, 2012).
In 2013 the Research Council completed the road accidents database, whichwas in collaboration
with the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL, UK). The database contains data over a period of
five years and will provide statistics and information on road accidents. Data regarding the
causes of traffic deaths, which is gathered from the hospitals, is also critical in reducing death
and injury. Once the data is operational and validated, countermeasures can be developed and
evaluated.
Pillar 1: Road safety management
Road safety still is a concern in Oman and the Sultanate of Oman is committed to reduce road
fatalities by 25% by 2020. To achieve this and to address the road safety problem in the country,
a Research Council was created as part of its road safety strategy. The Council encourages
researching all areas of road safety in the country. The road safety research program is a
collaborative effort between The Research Council and the Royal Oman Police. The main
objective of the program is to promote scientific research and to build national research capacity
in road safety as well as to support decision makers through conducting different activities
outlined by the program. A steering committee has been formed to ensure that research is of
high scientific quality and that the research proposals determine the research priority areas.
The national seat-belt laws have recently been revised to be applicable to both drivers and
passengers of 4 wheeled motorized vehicles. There is also a new national child restraint law and
mobile phone law while driving, addressing critical gaps in legislation.