THIRTY men and three females (all drivers) died in road accidents in Bahrain last year, according to the latest government data.
Comparatively, 42 men and five females died in 44 traffic accidents in 2022. Of the fatalities 27 were drivers, seven were passengers and 13 were pedestrians.
Data by the General Directorate of Traffic further showed that passenger deaths last year were recorded at 16, including four females.
In addition, 236 male drivers sustained serious injuries in road accidents last year compared to 45 females.
Minor injuries among men stood at 199 last year while those among females was 86.
According to the traffic data for 2022, there were 44 fatal accidents (majority in the Capital Governorate) and 778 classified as serious or slight injury.
Fifty-two fatal accidents were recorded in 2021 and 53 in 2020. The highest number of fatal accidents was recorded in 2013 (77).
Furthermore, data for last year showed that 287 drivers were caught for being drunk, 596 for driving without a licence and a staggering 161,660 for speeding.
In 2022, 307 were listed as drunk offences, 537 without a licence and 196,207 for speeding.
Further breakdown of the data shows that a total of 575,294 private vehicles were registered last year, 27,675 motorcycles, 1,325 taxis and 186 racing cars, among others.
The GDN reported in February that young drivers who like to live in the fast lane are the ones most likely to end up in a traffic accidents.
Statistics showed that the majority of accidents, whether major or minor, involved young drivers, General Directorate of Traffic legal affairs head Major Khalid Buqais had said, without providing exact figures.
He stated that most accident cases in the country are due to speeding, followed closely by the use of mobile phones while driving.
MPs earlier this year had called for a review of speed limits on Bahrain’s roads to ‘better reflect’ the nature of the routes.
They had also suggested that the speed limit on some stretches of highways should be increased.
Bahrain has witnessed increased traffic patrols, installation of high-tech cameras on all major highways and the implementation of punishments following the introduction of the Traffic Law in February 2015.
Those who exceed the speed limit by 30 per cent face fines of between BD50 and BD250 and up to three months behind bars.
A driving points system has also been implemented with cumulative demerits for traffic offences. If a driver accumulates, for the first time, 20 points during a calendar year, the licence will be withdrawn for three months.
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