Dr. Mohammed Y Al Qaradawi, Director of QTTSC, Qatar University
Qatar’s rapid growth and expanding road infrastructure have enabled the country to invest in building a world-class road network with state-of-the-art safety features. Although significant improvements in road safety have been made in recent years, it is imperative to continue developing adequate infrastructure physically and with research to ensure overall safety.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 1.3 million people die each year due to road traffic crashes.
In Qatar, the National Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan aim to reduce the annual number of road crash fatalities to 130 by 2022 and reduce severe injuries to 300 by 2022.
Between 2008 and 2010, 220 people were killed yearly, and over 550 people were seriously injured in Qatar because of road crashes.
The Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center (QTTSC) at Qatar University, established in September 2012, is one of several agencies tasked with advancing transportation studies through research, development, education, and community engagement.
It is becoming the premier Center of Excellence that addresses the national and regional challenges for safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable transportation systems.
“QTTSC is one of the main stakeholders representing Qatar University in the development and implementation of the National Traffic Safety Strategy (2013-2022). Thirty different national actions were assigned and implemented successfully by the Center,” Dr. Mohammed Y Al Qaradawi, Director of QTTSC at Qatar University, told The Peninsula.
The Center has developed a course, “Traffic Safety and Human Behavior” to introduce the importance of traffic safety and its relation to human behaviour. It organizes a biannual scientific International Traffic Safety Conference under the patronage of the Minister of Interior and Prime Minister of Qatar. This event was first held in 2018, and the next one is due in 2023.
“The Center has also developed professional road safety training programmes and workshops that aim to build road safety capacity locally and regionally. Since 2016, more than 18 training courses have been conducted, and more than 380 road safety experts were trained,” Dr. Al Qaradawi added.
He noted that QTTSC is heavily involved with Mowasalat-Karwa Driving School in developing training workshops for driving instructors (train the trainer concept) regarding different mental and psychological related issues (such as autism, aggression, driving errors, violations, etc.).
“QTTSC is also contributing to different areas in Transportation Engineering such as transportation sustainability in which a decision support platform was developed towards enhancing the transition to electric mobility options in the public transportation sector in Qatar,” he added.
Furthermore, the QTTSC has also established two major research facilities, including the advanced driving simulator laboratory and the Compact Impact Sled (CIS) Laboratory, the first of its kind in the region.
While the simulator would help predict drivers’ behaviour towards smart traffic control systems, the CIS tests the efficiency of vehicle components such as safety belts, airbags, and child seats. This usesdifferent standardized regulation tests used in Europe and America to minimize injuries during crashes in Qatar, Dr. Al Qaradawi added.
“The Virtual Reality Laboratory is currently being established to study the behaviour of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians to improve road environment, traffic control, and operation,” he disclosed.
