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The Traffic Dept intensifies monitoring of wrong overtaking

Published: 28 May 2024 - 08:16 am | Last Updated: 28 May 2024 - 08:21 am Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula Doha, Qatar: The General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has intensified monitoring of wrong overtaking of vehicles by installing traffic cameras to ensure the safety of motorists and other road users. “Overtaking from the right is wrong behaviour, some people do it without regard for the rights of others and it causes many traffic accidents,” MoI said on its X platform. The Directorate said that a number of devices have been installed to monitor violations of overtaking from the right in a bid to ensure the enhancement of traffic safety. It said that turning or overtaking without indicating to other road users is also a traffic violation that can lead to accidents. The Department asked motorists to give a signal before changing lanes for safety. Seatbelt violations are enforced for both the driver and the front-seat passenger and are recorded by traffic patrols and surveillance cameras. This is in accordance with Article No. 54 of Traffic Law No. 19 of 2007 which mandates that both the driver of a motor vehicle and the front seat passenger must wear seatbelts when the vehicle is moving on the road.     The General Directorate of Traffic started automating monitoring of traffic violations of not wearing seat belts and using mobile phones while driving from September 3, 2023. The two violations are being detected through the unified radar system which is connected to all radars and road CCTV cameras installed across the country. The system aims at reducing road accidents causing death and injuries. Not wearing seat belt is one of the most serious violations because of the damage it could cause to the driver, as seat belt is the first line of safety. The Directorate called on all road users to comply with the traffic law and its executive regulations to preserve lives and property, and to contribute to the great efforts made by the various concerned authorities across the country, stressing that traffic safety is a joint responsibility between the official authorities and the society. Traffic-related deaths and grave injuries in Qatar dropped 24.3 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, with 5.3 deaths per 100,000 population, as per figures by the Ministry of Interior.  According to the data, 168 deaths from road traffic crashes were registered in 2023, bringing the rate in Qatar lower than the global rate estimated at 15 deaths per 100,000 population. It indicated that the reasons for the decrease in accidents were due to several factors, including setting new controls and requirements for motorcycles used for delivery services, as well as the use of electric scooters, in addition to activating the unified radar system to detect seatbelt violations and mobile phone use while driving, which began operating in September. This was in addition to intensifying the deployment of traffic patrols, focusing on areas with the highest recorded traffic accidents, providing alternative means of transportation such as the metro and public buses, constructing 98 bridges and tunnels for pedestrian crossings, and implementing awareness campaigns and community partnership programmes targeting various groups.   Source : https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/28/05/2024/traffic-dept-intensifies-monitoring-of-wrong-overtaking