ANALYSIS ON TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD ACCIDENTS: A CASE STUDY ON SELECTED ROADS IN MUSCAT, OMAN

Highway safety is of serious concern not only to the Highway Authorities but also to the whole Nation, as they involve in loss of property and human life. Increase in vehicular growth and there by the traffic on Muscat roads is of serious concern. Even though the accidents growth rate is declaiming over the last ten years, but the number of accidents is of serious concern to the Authorities. The reasons for accidents are many folds and among them, high speeding of vehicles is the major factor contributing to the accidents. This study aimed at conducting an investigation to understand the causes of accidents for improving highway safety in Muscat. The methodology involved is discussions with the Authorities elicit the opinion of Royal Oman Police (ROP) and collection of data from ROP and field road inventory data. Also operating speeds of the vehicles during peak and non-peak hours are collected on the selected roads to validate the hypothesis. Data collected from primary and secondary sources, analysis of vehicular speed data and accident statistical data facilitated to draw conclusions for the traffic safety concerns.