Welcome to Oman Driving in Oman - Road Safety

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Welcome to OmanDriving in Oman -Road Safety

• Trevor Harrison - CSM/6
• Corporate Road Safety Adviser

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Driving in Oman is Different!
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Arrive in Oman Fit Healthy
Road Traffic Accident?
Enjoy Working Living In Oman (2 - 4 years?)
Leave Oman Fit Healthy
NO
No Injury / Minor Injury!
YES
The PDO Journey
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Coastal Driving - Some Characteristics

• Rule Breaking is Common
• Erratic / Unpredictable
• Inconsiderate
• Roads Difficult

Summary - Immature Driving Environment
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Interior Driving - Some Characteristics

• Graded Roads
• Wadis
• Animals - Collision Risk
• Remote - In the event of an Accident
• may take hours to get help
• Police Only
• NO EFFECTIVE AMBULANCE OR FIRE SERVICE
• Hostile Environment

Summary - Harsh / Unforgiving Environment
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What Are the Risks?

• Driving is probably Your Most Dangerous
• activity
• Driving in Oman is some 5 to 10 times more
  dangerous than driving in Europe
• Oman
• 1996 - 512 Road Accident Fatalities
• 1997 - 549 Road Accident Fatalities
• 1998 - 614 Fatalities - Including 50 children
  below the age of 6 (not wearing Seat Belts?)
• PDO Road Safety Figures are comparable
• with some European countries

Note - 1966 to 1998. RTA Fatalities have
increased by 20
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What causes most accidents?
The Driver

• Acts to cause an accident - Deliberate Acts of
  Rule Breaking - eg speeding, illegal overtaking
• Fails to act to prevent an accident - eg not
  looking ahead, not driving defensively
• Fails to act to reduce the consequences of an
  accident - eg does not ensure seatbelts are worn

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What Keeps you Safe on the Road?
A GOOD DRIVER
The Driver controls 90 of the Risk - see below
Root cause analysis, shows that human error
accounts for more than 90 of road accidents.
- Safety Features of Light Vehicles and Mini
Buses. Shell Health, Safety and Environment
Committee, July 1997. In more than 90 of
traffic accidents, human error is the cause
accidents do not just happen by chance, they are
the consequences of unsafe driving practices. -
Roadcraft - The Police Drivers Handbook, Page 1,
Chapter 1, The Stationary Office, UK, 1997.
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What Does it Mean to be a Good Driver?
Medically Fit
A Good Driver
Experience
ATTITUDE
Knowledge
Skills
Personal Decision
Training
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ATTITUDE

• Expect the Unexpected
• Be Fully Aware of what is happening around you
  on the road - at the same time maintain a
  Relaxed and Detached ATTITUDE
• Make a Personal Decision that
• Safety of People Comes First
• Anything Else Comes Second

Your First Objective should be to To Complete
Your Journey Safely
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ATTITUDE

• Personal Decision
• Safety of People Comes First
• Anything else comes second

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Some Local Laws

• Illegal to Drink and Drive - Permitted Alcohol
  Level for driving is ZERO(Check your insurance
  policy - you are probably not insured if you
  have been drinking)
• Illegal to drive whilst using GSM
• Illegal to overtake on the right
• Traffic from the left has priority - traffic
  turning right gives way to traffic turning left -
  see A Guide to Family Safety, p62

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Vehicle Wish List - Safety

• Keep the Driver Comfortable and in Control
• Good- Lights / Brakes / Steering / Tyres
• Accident Mitigation Mass of at least 1000 kg / 3
  point inertia seat belts / air bags / head
  restraints / side impact protection / roll cage
  luggage screen (4WD)

Personal Choice
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Conceptual Difference - 2WD vs 4WD
4WDs - BIG DISADVANTAGES Large mass / High CG /
Long, soft springs Can be difficult to
control DANGER OF ROLLOVER
4 Wheel Drive
Saloon Car
4WDs - BIG ADVANTAGES High Driving Position /
Excellent Visibility Enables - look ahead /
early hazard identification / early reaction to
hazards
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Safety Notice displayed inside a Jeep Cherokee
This utility vehicle handles and maneuvers
differently from many passenger cars both on-road
and off-road. You must drive it safely. As with
other utility vehicles if you make sharp turns
or abrupt maneuvers, you may cause this vehicle
to go out of control and roll over and crash.
You or your passengers may be seriously injured.

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Danger - Rollover

• Avoidance
• Good Driving
• Rules - Speed
• Tyres
• Driving Course

• Survival
• Speed
• Seat Belts
• Rollcage
• First Aid

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Danger - Collision

• Survival
• Seat Belts
• Air bags
• Mass
• First Aid

• Avoidance
• Good Driving
• Rules - Speed
• Safe Distance Rule
• Defensive Driving
• ATTITUDE

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Danger - Graded Road - Collision - Rollover

• Avoidance
• Good Driving
• Dust Code
• Headlights
• Speed - 80 kph max

• Survival
• Seat Belts
• Rollcage
• First Aid

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Danger - Getting Lost - Stuck - Broken-down

• Avoidance
• Planning / Maps
• Good Maintenance
• 2nd Vehicle
• Equipment
• Spade / Rope /
• Sand boards
• Air Jack / Spares

• Survival
• Journey Management
• Stay with vehicle
• WATER!

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Danger - Rain - Wadis

• Avoidance
• - Stay home if it is Raining!
• Roads
• - Safe Following Distance
• Wadis
• - Slow down
• - Dont cross unless it is safe
• - 4WD Low Ratio
• - IF IN DOUBT WAIT!

• Survival
• Water level can change quickly
• Reach place of safety if possible

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Danger - Driving on Camp

• Survival
• Seat Belts
• First Aid
• 5555

• Avoidance
• Good Driving
• Rules - Speed - 50 kph

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That Extra Speed does make a Difference!
Vehicle - Pedestrian Collision Likelihood of
killing the Pedestrian 30kph - 5 50 kph -
50 65 kph - almost 100
Bullbars make the front of a vehicle more
aggressive. In the event of a collision the
likelihood of a fatality is increased.
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Danger - School Car Park
School Car Park - The place where 20 kg
children meet 2000 kg vehicles

• Avoidance
• Speed - Walking Pace!!!

• Survival
• First Aid
• 5555

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Night Driving

• Avoid it if you can outside of the coastal area
• Difficult on graded roads
• Increased risk of hitting camels and other
  animals
• Other vehicles may not be using lights or do not
  use them properly
• Try to complete your journey by sunset

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What to do in case of an accident

• Documents to carry
• Driving Licence / Motor Vehicle Licence / Labour
  Card-Expats
• Call Police Directly or Call PDO
• Do Not Move Vehicles
• Injured people - first aid / common sense
• Emergency Numbers
• ROP EMERGENCY - 999
• PDO - Immediate Assistance - (67)5555
• PDO - Vehicle Damage - 677488 / 675445
• Pager 9124003 - Outside Office Hours

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Courses

• Occupational Training International
• Al Khuwair
• Tel - 604741 / 695363
• Fax 692201 / 692203
• Driving
• Interior Driving - 1 Day - OR45
• Off Road - ? Day - OR 45
• Defensive Driving - 1 Day - OR 85
• First Aid
• Basic Life Support - 1 Day - OR 25
• Practical 1st Aid - 2 day - OR 40
• Industrial 1st Aid - 4 day - OR 70

• National Training Institute
• Madinat Qaboos
• Tel- 605273
• Fax - 607720
• Offroad Driving - Thursday am (Now cancelled due
  to lack of interest!)
• Defensive Driving - Thursdays 8 am to 3 pm - OR
  60
• Child Infant CPR - 1 Day - OR 22

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Enjoy Driving in Oman

• Personal Decision
• Safety of People Comes First
• Anything else comes second

Seatbelts Save Lives - Use Them!