Introduction
There are a lot of deaths caused by road accidents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Even though the concerned government authorities can institute firm measures to curb the menace, it appears that the existing rules and regulations are easily flouted by most drivers. Despite the fact that poor enforcement of traffic laws has led to careless driving, it is vital to note that drivers are also trained poorly. As a result, they obtain driving licenses quite easily. This report explores the causes of reckless driving by reviewing some of the recent death and injury statistics on the Saudi Arabian roads.
Argument one
According to the first argument, poor training of drivers and driver’s licenses that are easily obtained are the main causes of reckless driving. The available statistics indicate that the annual number of deaths caused by road accidents in Saudi Arabia stands at 270,000 (Al-Kinani, 2008). This figure is purportedly among the highest in the Arab world.
Additional g statistics indicate that after every two hours, one person dies while eight others sustained serious body injuries from road accidents. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also records a total of 32,000 injuries annually.
Defensive driving is being introduced in Saudi Arabia so that the expertise of drivers on the roads can be improved. Most drivers are apparently not adequately skilled to avoid road accidents (Al-Kinani, 2008). According to the report released by the Defensive Driving Academy, poor training is the main cause of reckless driving on Arabian roads. It is possible for a skilled driver to avoid causing an accident even if other people are driving poorly on the road. Local driving conditions can only be met if the current driving course in Saudi Arabia is slightly modified in order to strengthen some modules. For example, driving licenses should not be issued to trainees who fail to pass the core tests.
The training module for drivers should also incorporate the expected conduct while driving. Motorists should be taught the importance of courtesy on the road. According to Al-Shareef and Al-Wuhaimid (2008), errors committed by drivers have been blamed for 85% of all deaths on Arabian roads. It is also unfortunate that close to SR18 billion is spent by the Kingdom every year on cases related to road accidents.
In a report by Nazer (2008), red lights are bypassed by reckless drivers at will. Motorists in Saudi Arabia also drive aggressively with little regard for human life. Young male drivers are the worst culprits of road accidents in the Kingdom.
Argument two
According to the second argument, a lack of thorough enforcement of traffic rules has led to reckless driving in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
When over 400 traffic violations were committed by a Saudi national, it was a clear indication that traffic laws were not being enforced (Al-Huwairini, 2013).
An automatic traffic violations system should be installed in vehicles in order to detect and record motorists who flout traffic rules while driving (Saudi Gazette, 2008).
The violation of traffic rules has increased tremendously. The traffic authorities in the Kingdom are apparently not doing their work well (Al-Harbi, 2013).
Comparison between the two essays
In both arguments, drivers are the main cause of road accidents. For example, when driving licenses are issued haphazardly, it is still the duty of a driver to maintain traffic rules. On the same note, drivers should not wait for traffic laws to be enforced before they can avoid reckless driving.
The contrast between the two essays
In the first essay, poor training of drivers and issuance of driving licenses to unqualified trainees are the main causes of reckless driving. However, the second essay posits that reckless driving is caused by poor enforcement of traffic rules.
Conclusion
From the above arguments, it is evident that drivers should be blamed for all forms of road accidents. Motorists should be ready to adhere to traffic rules without being coerced. Therefore, there is a need to adopt better training standards for drivers. Driving licenses should be issued to qualified individuals only according to the first argument.
References
Al-Kinani, M. (2008).Defensive driving starts up in Jeddah. Web.
Al-Harbi, K. (2013). Traffic tourism. Web.
Al-Huwairini, R. (2013). Saudi tourists and their embarrassing behavior. Web.
Al-Shareef, M. & Al-Wuhaimid, A.L. (2008). NHRS to discuss solutions for traffic accidents. Web.
Nazer, Z. (2012). Kingdom’s roads among ‘the world’s most dangerous’. Web.
Saudi Gazette (2008). License given for automatic traffic system. Web.