Social, health and economic impact of road accidents will come under focus in an international symposium the Emirates Traffic Safety Society will host here next April in partnership with International Road Federation on ‘Accident Prevention and Arab Road Safety Organization. Retired Brigadier Hassan Ahmed Al Hosani, Secretary General of Emirates Traffic Safety Society, said traffic problems have severe social and health consequences varying in their gravity from one country to another depending on their root causes.

He indicated that studies show that cost of road crash injuries is estimated between 1 to 3 per cent of GDP in developing world, a higher percentage in comparison of poor economic situation of these countries.

He announced that the WHO would give a presentation on its first ever Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 while study-cases and lessons learnt from experiments in France, Canada, Germany, UK, Portugal and Singapore as well from Arab countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Morocco will be presented to delegates.

Al Hosani added the agenda would tackle global road accidents reality, economic, social and psychological costs, and national action plans for prevention of road accidents.

Dr. Nasser Saif Al Mansouri, Director General of National Transport Authority, said

the event aims to shine light on the tragic impact of road accidents on both the economy and community. ‘The symposium will spread awareness about best practices on evaluation and reporting of road crash costs in the UAE,’he added.

Citing WHO figures, he said the total annual global economic cost of traffic accidents would probably exceed the estimate of 518 billion dollars and about 25 billion dollars in the Arab World, accounting for 5 per cent of total world losses.

In the Gulf region, he added, the losses were estimated at 19.1 billion dollars or 3.7 per cent of world’s total losses and 76.4 per cent of the Arab World.

• UAE