Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry, fourth left, is flanked on his right by Labor Minister Adel Fakeih and Ali Al-Rasheed from the Riyadh Traffic Police at the press conference in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The Traffic Department said Thursday that it would take disciplinary action against officers who do not attend to accident scenes within 45 minutes.

“Our officers attend to accident cases within a period of 30 to 45 minutes after receiving the call,” said Brig. Ali Al-Rasheedi, traffic safety director.

He blamed drivers for the delay. “They don’t inform the traffic department quickly about accidents. Sometimes, we get the call 30 minutes after the accident has occurred,” he said.

Al-Rasheedi’s statement comes amid the growing number of accident cases in the country, even during Ramadan. Several accidents have taken place across the Kingdom during the past two days.

Four young Saudi men burned to death on Wednesday after two cars they were traveling in collided head-on near Rabigh.

Two of the victims were identified and handed over to their families, while the two other bodies, which could not be identified, have been taken to Rabigh. The accident took place on a road linking Wadi Hajar and Rabigh, which lacks safety facilities and services.

Three accidents have taken place in the southern Baha region during the past 24 hours, killing two and injuring eight others, said Emad Al-Zahrani, Red Crescent Authority spokesman in Baha.

He urged the public not to carry accident victims in their personal vehicles, saying it could worsen their condition.

Meanwhile, a 15-vehicle pileup took place on Sabya-Bisha International Road on Wednesday as a result of sandstorms that reduced visibility. The accident injured a driver and damaged some vehicles, said Yasser Al-Naami, Red Crescent spokesman in Jazan.

 
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