TUNIS, July 16 (KUNA) – The Secretary General of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, Mohammad Koman, has urged for a concerted effort to enhance traffic awareness across Arab nations as a key measure to reduce road accidents and improve road safety. His remarks came during the opening of the 21st Arab Conference of Heads of Traffic Departments, which is currently being chaired by Kuwait.

Speaking at the event, Koman emphasized that the majority of traffic accidents are caused by human error, with a lack of awareness regarding the importance of adhering to traffic rules and regulations. He stressed the critical role of awareness campaigns in mitigating this issue, which continues to plague Arab roads.

"We must focus on enhancing traffic awareness and adopting modern, smart systems to educate the public about road safety," Koman said, highlighting the necessity of proactive efforts to reduce traffic-related incidents.

The conference, which brings together traffic department heads from across Arab countries, is discussing several key topics, including the development of an Arab Traffic Analytical Database, the introduction of the Smart Traffic Awareness System (MetaHabe), and the exchange of best practices in traffic safety, regulation, and accident prevention.

Koman specifically pointed to the establishment of the Arab Traffic Analytical Database as an essential step in improving traffic safety. This initiative, he explained, would provide vital data on various traffic-related issues, thereby enabling the adoption of more effective measures to curb road accidents. He called on member states to contribute valuable data and statistics on traffic incidents to enrich the database.

Another notable subject at the conference was the MetaHabe system, a smart traffic awareness initiative already implemented by the Fujairah Police in the United Arab Emirates. Koman praised the system for its success, especially after it secured second place in the prestigious Prince Naif Award for Arab Security under the pioneering security programs category. This system serves as a prime example of how technology can be leveraged to improve road safety.

The conference, hosted by Kuwait, sees the participation of traffic department heads and their representatives from Arab nations, along with officials from the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences. The Kuwaiti delegation is led by Brigadier General Munif Al-Mutairi, Colonel Yousef Al-Haddad, and First Lieutenant Nawaf Al-Mutairi, who are part of the General Traffic Department in Kuwait.

As the conference progresses, it is clear that the collective aim is to enhance cooperation among Arab countries to combat road accidents through innovation, data-driven strategies, and awareness-raising efforts.