Manama: Wary of the increase in car accidents in Ramadan, Bahrain's traffic authorities urged drivers to be more cautious and to comply with speed limits.
However, a few hours after the appeal, a student became the first fatality on the first day of the month after he was killed as he was attempting to cross the road going home from school in Eisa Town, 15 kilometres south of Manama.
"We urge all drivers to exercise the highest level of caution and to avoid speeding in order to catch iftar time at home," Colonel Shaikh Khalifa Bin Hassan Al Khalifa, the head of the Traffic Directorate, said in a statement sent to the media.
"We also urge drivers to remain focused on their driving and to take a long rest if they are too tired or exhausted to sit behind the steering wheel," he said.
The pleas were part of a campaign launched by the traffic authorities in Ramadan to limit accidents caused by overspeeding and by lack of sleep.
Changes in routine
Ramadan in Bahrain and in several Arab countries is often associated with dramatic changes in daily routines, including staying up late at family and social gatherings.
According to Colonel Al Khalifa, seven people were killed in traffic accidents during Ramadan last year.
"There were also 28 serious injuries out of the 156 accidents in the holy month as well as 121 light injuries. Most of the accidents occurred just before iftar or late in the evening," he said.
Colonel Al Khalifa is spearheading new efforts to improve traffic after months of chaos and confusion caused by massive road works and an inexorable increase in the number of vehicles circulating in the small kingdom.
The rush of vehicles from neighbouring countries mainly during the weekends and summer holidays has compounded the difficult situation and caused congestion.
