A training workshop on “Safe Urban Street Design for Vulnerable Road Users” recently hosted by the Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center (QTTSC) at Qatar University’s (QU) College of Engineering (CENG) in collaboration with the International Road Federation aimed to provide information on counter measures and technologies that help in providing a safe road environment for vulnerable road users.
This course discussed the reasons why vulnerable road users are involved in road crashes constituting in high ratios of fatalities and injuries. It also discussed different policies and strategies, including engineering counter measures, education, awareness and enforcement that can be taken to reduce these impacts.
The engineering faculty, students and staff along with representatives from local and international institutions attended the workshop, which was delivered by Eng. Tawab Kazemi from the International Road Federation.
Commenting on the workshop, QTTSC Director Prof Faris Tarlochan said, “Vulnerable road user safety is a critical issue in Qatar, thus QTTSC is working actively to improve the traffic safety status in collaboration with local authorities and international partners. This workshop is one in a number of forums that are addressing sustainable road safety solutions and is in line with the efforts by the Center and the College of Engineering to raise public awareness and responsibility in road safety.”
QTTSC workshop coordinator Assistant Professor, Dr Wael Alhajyaseen said that vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, public transportation and non-motorized vehicles users are at greater risk than vehicle occupants and usually bear the greatest burden of injury during road crashes. In some countries, vulnerable road users represent more than 45% of the fatalities while in Qatar the percentage is around thirty percent (30%). Generally, vulnerable road users’ crashes are due to the lack of proper facilities to accommodate their needs, high speeds of traffic and the lack of separation between these fast moving motorized vehicles and vulnerable users. The course offers different policies and strategies to provide safer roads for vulnerable road users.
He added, “This training course targets Road Agency Executives, Highway Engineers, Traffic Management Professionals, Traffic Safety Professionals, Pedestrian Safety Advocates, Bicycle Safety Advocates, Motorcycle Safety Advocates, Law Enforcement Authority, and Research & Academia Personnel.”