| 1. Introduction |
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Traffic accidents in Jordan and the
resulting injuries and fatalities from these
accidents have become a major concern for both
public officials and citizens. Upon direct
directives from His Majesty King Abdullah II, a
national strategy was launched to reduce traffic
accidents in Jordan after the sharp increase in
their number, and the associated human and property
losses, in 2007. As a result of this national
strategy, the number of fatalities decreased by
approximately 25% in 2008. |
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| :Many
factors contribute to traffic accidents, including |
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Human factors
(drivers and pedestrians), which contribute to most
accidents. |
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Road environment factors, such as curves, sidewalks, signing, marking and lighting. |
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Vehicle factors. |
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Environmental factors related to visibility and weather conditions. |
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| 2. GAM Traffic Safety Strategy |
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As part of its vital role in planning, designing, constructing, maintaining and managing the road network, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has made traffic safety a cornerstone in its strategies and programs. These traffic safety efforts fall under two main categories: |
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Planning and managing traffic on the roads falling under GAM’s jurisdiction in order to reduce traffic congestion and move people and goods efficiently, rapidly and safely using the best available technologies. |
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Studying the most dangerous intersections and road sections, in cooperation with the Traffic Police and other agencies, and finding safety-enhancing solutions, such as traffic signals, crosswalks, pedestrian bridges and pedestrian tunnels. |
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Participating in traffic safety awareness campaigns, in cooperation with other agencies and non-governmental organizations, such as the Hikmat Road Safety Organization and the Royal Health Awareness Society (KAFA Program). |
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| 3. GAM 2010 Strategy: Pedestrian Safety |
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In 2008, approximately 68% of the traffic accidents in Jordan took place in Amman. These included 206 fatalities (27.8% of national figure) and 5607 injuries (40.3% of the national figure). The accident statistics reveal that the majority (60%) of fatal accidents in Amman were pedestrian-related (124 pedestrian fatalities). In its effort to alleviate the scourge of traffic accidents and to support the national strategy, GAM’s response was to announce 2010 the Pedestrian Safety Year. |
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| The expected work streams for the GAM 2010 Pedestrian Safety Strategy include: |
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Coordination with the Higher Safety Committee and other agencies. |
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Identifying high pedestrian crash zones/corridors and developing effective solutions to enhance pedestrian safety. |
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Studying pedestrian bridges, understanding the reasons behind their underutilization, and relocating the underutilized ones to more meaningful locations. |
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Design, implement and evaluate some model (ideal) pedestrian pathways. |
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Influencing driver and pedestrian behavior by conducting traffic awareness campaigns and penalizing the violators of traffic safety regulations. |
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Focus on school children’s traffic safety in cooperation with the Hikmat Road Safety Organization and the Royal Health Awareness Society (KAFA Program). |
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Traffic Safety Strategy for the Greater Amman Municipality
