Page 404 - Bahrain Gov annual reports(V)_Neat

60

TRAFFIC

Superintendent J. Hyde was in charge of the Trafiic Department throughout the year.

Vehicles
1. During 1956, 773 new motor vehicles were registered, bringing the total at the end of
the year to 4,830.
2. The number of new pedal cycles registered was 1,523. The practice of registering
new pedal cycles at the Traffic Office is being discontinued.

Traffic Accidents
1. The year 1956 was the worst on record for accidents. Twenty-three persons died as
a result of road accidents, 8 of these were pedestrians and include 3 children of under 16 years
of age. Two pedal cyclists and one man in charge of a donkey and cart were killed at night
Of the remainder of the fatalities, two persons were killed while riding a motor-cycle, the other
were passengers in motor vehicles.

2. Other road casualties during the year include 30 persons seriously injured and 117
slightly injured. Pedestrians were involved in 55 accidents as compared with 34 during 1955.

3. The total number of accidents recorded was 338 which is an increase of 160 over the
previous year. 269 occurred during daylight and 69 during the hours of darkness.

4. The Awal Road (Manama-Awali Road' which carries heaviest traffic has become the
worst road for accidents.

5. Each year the number of vehicles turned over without being involved with a second
vehicle is increasing. No less than 22 vehicles were involved in such accidents which were
responsible for 3 deaths. In six of the cases the drivers were Europeans. This type of accident
is the result of recklessness or bad driving and perhaps bad maintenance of the roads surface
or inadequate warning of obstructions.

6. Owing to the shortage of literate and specially trained Traffic Police, the majority of
cases taken to the Courts arise from accidents, whereas with more patrols and traffic supervision
many of the serious accidents could be eliminated.

7. At present the Traffic Officers spend most of their time investigating accidents, whereas
more effort should be made to prevent them. Persons convicted of any form of bad driving
should have their licences suspended for a substantial period.

8. Types of Vehicles involved in Accidents. Following are details of the types of vehicles
involved in accidents :
Private Vehicles 218
Lorries 133
Taxi Buses 70
Taxi Cabs 72
Private Buses 19
Motor Cycles 13
Pedal Cycles 18