The alarming rise in fatal traffic accidents which cause massive losses of human and financial resources will be the focus for the Gulf Traffic Week opening today in Dubai.

The annual event, which runs until March 16, is being held this year under the theme "Our Aim Your Safety", according to a report in our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.

Bahrain’s Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa stressed the importance of promoting road safety as Bahrain prepares to join other GCC countries in marking the Gulf Traffic Week.

"The medical costs resulting from traffic accidents represent a serious burden on the gross domestic product," he said in a statement on the occasion.

Citing updated figures released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the minister said that fatal traffic accidents were the third biggest cause of deaths worldwide.

He described safety as top priority for the General Directorate of Traffic and other government departments.

He highlighted GCC efforts to enforce traffic safety by passing laws or upgrading procedures to keep pace with the urban and economic expansion in the Gulf.

Pointing to the unprecedented increase in the number of vehicles, he stressed the need to tackle resultant traffic-related problems.

He underlined the importance of the traffic week in promoting public awareness.

Shaikh Rashid also paid tribute to Bahrain's police for working round the clock to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, ease road congestion and deal with accidents. – TradeArabia News Service