Qatar University, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Public Health and Public Works Authority (Ashghal) together will organize the Second International Conference on Traffic Safety
21-22 March 2022
Qatar University (QU), represented by the Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center at the College of Engineering, and the Ministry of Interior, represented by the National Committee for Traffic Safety, will organize the second International Conference on Traffic Safety on 21-22 March 2022. This conference, which is under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior HE Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, is regarded as an international conference to support and promote the vision and objectives of the National Traffic Safety Strategy 2013-2022 in the State of Qatar.
The conference was announced during a press conference held yesterday in QU’s Ibn Khaldoon Hall where QU President Dr. Dr. Hassan Al-Derham; Brigadier Mohamed Abdullah Al-Shahwani, Director General of Traffic Department and member of the Conference's Steering Committee; Secretary of the National Traffic Safety Committee and Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee Brigadier Mohammed Abdullah Al Malki; and Dr. Mohammed AlQaradawi, Director of the Qatar Center for Transportation and Traffic Safety at QU spoke in the presence of a number of representatives from concerned organizations in the state.
The conference will be jointly organized by the General Directorate of Traffic, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), and with the support of international partners represented by the International Road Federation, World Conference on Transport Research Society, and the International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences. The conference is sponsored by Dolphin Energy Limited.
Commenting on this global event, Dr. Hassan Al-Derham, President of Qatar University and Chairman of the Conference's Steering Committee, said: the organization of the ITSC conference coincides with the launch of the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety announced by the World Health Organization on October 28, 2021, which calls for attention to vulnerable groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists with the explicit target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50% during the next decade.
“The goal of this conference is to discuss topics related to traffic safety and provide opportunities for dialogue and discussion at the global level for issues related to the present and future of road safety, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic that clearly affected mobility behaviors. Moreover, this conference also provides a platform for those interested in traffic safety at the institutional or individual level to discuss and converge views on finding solutions to road safety problems, and how to translate ideas into strategies and programs, while making them usable and applicable on the ground.”
Meanwhile, the President indicated that Qatar’s hosting of such a conference for the second time would raise its international position in the field of traffic safety and prepare national institutions concerned with road traffic affairs to receive the FIFA World Cup, which the world awaits in 2022. Dr. Hassan Al-Derham also added that the conference will be accompanied by a specialized exhibition in which the government and private sectors wishing to participate will have the opportunity to display their products and engineering solutions, as well as everything new in the field of transportation and traffic safety.
For his part, Brigadier Mohamed Abdullah Al-Shahwani, Director General of Traffic Department and member of the Conference's Steering Committee, affirmed that the organization of an international conference on traffic safety is an indication of the extent of the attention paid by the country's supreme leadership to the issue of traffic safety, which is one of the main pillars of the state's renaissance and progress. He highlighted the goals that the conference organizers, at both the Ministry of Interior and QU, are seeking from this event to show the world the extent of the advanced level that the State of Qatar has reached in the field of road engineering, designs, and management, the attainment of global security and safety standards for the road network, as well as spreading information about the experiences and efforts of other countries. This is in addition to gaining experience and getting acquainted with the latest state-of-the-art road engineering technology.
Secretary of the National Traffic Safety Committee and Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee Brigadier Mohammed Abdullah Al Malki also indicated that this conference is an important event because it is an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences with different countries of the world, as a practical application of what the 2030 sustainable development plan calls for, which was adopted by the heads of the states who attended the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. He stressed the need for concerted efforts by the authorities concerned with road safety in the country and its integration, in order to achieve the vision of the supreme leadership of the state aimed at building an advanced road network that meets the highest standards of safety and security. This vision also aims to achieve an integrated transportation system that guarantees the safety and security of society in its movement, in a way that preserves the state's human and economic resources necessary for its development, progress, and attaining of an advanced rank among the countries of the world in the field of road safety.
Concluding his speech, Brigadier Mohammed Al Malki applauded the existing cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and QU, which is considered a model for all other authorities to follow. Al-Malki added that the organization of this conference is the outcome of the fruitful cooperation between the two sides while affirming that the National Traffic Safety Committee pays great attention to organizing this international conference, which will provide authorities responsible for traffic safety in the country an opportunity to exchange ideas with other international bodies that share the same interest.
For his part, Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmed Al Muhannadi, President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), asserted the importance of this conference and the role of Ashghal in raising traffic safety and improving traffic flow through implementing efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly infrastructure projects on par with international specifications, design and construction standards. Construction of roads, bridges, and tunnels include intelligent transportation systems, emergency tracks, as well as dedicated pathways, bridges, and tunnels for pedestrians and cyclists equipped with the latest devices and tools to ensure traffic safety.
He continued saying, “Ashghal has conducted road safety audits in the key stages to provide a high level of design and improvement of safety standards. These methods were designed according to several considerations, including the International Road Assessment Program (IRAP), a major tool used in Qatar to ensure the design and implementation of roads that deserve 4 or 5 star ratings. It is also worth noting that the State of Qatar has won the CIHT Award for Road Safety in 2019, and the Prince Michael Traffic Safety Award in 2018.”
Dr. Saad Al Muhannadi added, “The number of road fatalities in Qatar has decreased, reflecting the tangible performance Ashghal has delivered over the past decade. We shall continue our commitment to implement sustainable infrastructure, because, Qatar deserves the best.”
Ministry of Transport Acting Assistant Undersecretary of Land Transport Affairs Eng. Hamad Essa Abdulla affirmed that traffic safety is receiving wide attention from the state in general and by the ministry in particular. Hamad Essa said that the conference will enhance engineering principles in the fields of transportation engineering, including transportation planning, indicating that the Ministry of Transport and Communications in its various departments will have an active role in this conference by presenting working papers and specialized scientific lectures to the engineering sector concerned with transport and communications affairs. The Ministry is also working side by side in organizing and managing this conference during the coming period until the date of its convening.
Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health, affirmed that the concerted efforts of all key partners are to ensure safety on the roads, reduction in the number of traffic accident victims, the development of services provided to those injured, and the best treatment in the fastest time. He added that it is very important to learn from this conference about the most important developments and the use of modern technology in ambulance services, transport of injured persons, emergency services, and rapid medical response to accidents.
Commenting on this event, Dr. Khalid Kamal Naji Dean of Engineering at Qatar University pointed out that traffic safety programs, campaigns, and studies are considered one of the main areas that the college is currently developing, in collaboration with many relevant institutions and in partnership with actors in this field. He emphasized that the College of Engineering seeks to provide various qualitative work to support the implementation of the National Traffic Safety Strategy and the realization of Qatar National Vision 2030. Moreover, he pointed to the College of Engineering's keenness to support traffic safety programs and events and to spread this culture in society through the Qatar Transport and Traffic Safety Center. This center is viewed as a platform for scientific research and community communication towards the smart transportation industry, in conjunction with the mega projects and expansion of the transportation network in the country.
For his part, Colonel Dr. Mohamed Radi Al-Hajri, Director of the Awareness and Information Department at the General Directorate of Traffic, stressed the importance of this conference in enhancing the role of scientific research and studies to find better solutions to improve traffic safety in the country. He indicated that the approach of the General Directorate of Traffic consists of developing and implementing its annual operational plans for traffic awareness, which is based on scientific data, statistics, and traffic indicators to find out the main causes of crashes. One of the conference goals is to create awareness and to reduce the wrong traffic behaviors of all road users of society, to make the roads more secure and safe. Colonel Dr. Mohamed Radi Al-Hajri pointed out that the conference represents an ideal platform for exchanging experiences and points of view and standing on the best international practices in various traffic fields, and translating these ideas in line with the urban and population growth in the State of Qatar, to reduce deaths and serious injuries resulting from road crashes.
Dr. Mohammed AlQaradawi, Director of the Qatar Center for Transportation and Traffic Safety at Qatar University and the Co-chair of the Conference Organizing Committee, said, “The main objective of the center is to support state institutions with research and provide solutions to traffic safety issues. This center, which is the first of its kind in Qatar, seeks to encourage and provide supportive infrastructure. The center is also considered as a body for evaluating and submitting proposals and recommendations related to traffic safety and reducing crashes, supporting and enriching postgraduate studies and university research for students in the field of transportation, publishing and exchanging studies and results of scientific research with the relevant authorities in the country such as public, educational and other institutions. Converting various traffic problems into research topics and summarizing them in the form of policies, programs, and strategies.”
He concluded, “The National Traffic Safety Strategy is the central mainstay on which the center relies in activities, programs, campaigns and research to provide high-quality work in support of Qatar's National Vision 2030.” Organized by the center. Dr. AlQaradawi also indicated that the 2nd International Traffic Safety Conference is one of the most important global events that the Center organizes.
Dr. AlQaradawi adds, “What distinguishes this conference is the availability of special issues of prestigious international journals to publish an outstanding research paper that will be presented at the conference. Hence, we invite all researchers and experts in the field of traffic safety in the world to submit their scientific papers using the following link, which also contains all information relevant to the conference.”
In order to improve the traffic safety system Dr. AlQaradawi encourages all individuals, government agencies and educational institutions to apply for the National Road Safety Award by submitting an innovative idea, project or new unprecedented invention that serves the traffic safety system and contributes to spreading traffic awareness/trying to solve road safety problems. Nominations will be received through the website www.roadsafety.qa, and prizes will be announced during the conference.
On this occasion, the organizers call on anyone interested in participating in the conference to submit an abstract or full paper on the following topics:
Traffic safety engineering, road user behavior including vehicles, pedestrians, and others, intelligent transportation systems, traffic management, youth and traffic safety, education, and traffic safety. The conference's topics also include traffic law enforcement, crash data analysis, traffic investigation, emergency services, medicine and road safety, transportation economics and policies, and artificial intelligence in road safety.
Two tracks of submission are available, abstract and full paper. Accepted abstracts will be entitled for presentation only while accepted full paper will be entitled for presentation and possible publication in journal special issue.
The deadline for abstract or full paper submission is December 10, 2021. Authors will be notified on the status of their submissions by January 31, 2022.
Submissions can be in Arabic or English. All submissions are through this link.
For more information, please visit the official website of the conference.
or contact us on itsc@qu.edu.qa