Saleh Fareed Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Traffic problems and an increasing number of accidents have become part and parcel of the fasting month of Ramadan and usually peak one hour before iftar (breaking of the fast), when the majority of people are rushing home. Traffic officer Homud Al-Otaibi said: “The accidents that happen in Ramadan are a result of motorists who are reckless in their driving before iftar and drive at extremely high speeds in order to make it home in time. “This conduct and behavior has become an increasing public danger.” Standing at a traffic intersection in Jeddah's Rawdah district, Al-Otaibi told Saudi Gazette that just 30 minutes before iftar, streets turn into racing fields and motorists ignore all traffic rules. He noted that car accidents rise during Ramadan afternoon because fasting affects drivers' ability to concentrate. Mazin Al-Ali, a 29-year-old motorist, said driving just before iftar was dangerous. He said: “Every time I drive before iftar on Tahliah Street (Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz Road) or Malik Road (King Abdulaziz Road) or any other roads in Jeddah I feel like I am in a Formula One track where I have to dodge all the cars around me.” He noted that the most important lesson of Ramadan was to have patience when dealing with day-to-day life matters and also refraining from bad practices. “But what we see daily before iftar is different. “You just see people fighting and shouting at each other everywhere and on the road. It is so crazy.” People call the time before iftar the rush hour because everyone is in a hurry to reach their destination while driving at a high speed, violating the signals without caring about other drivers. Saeed Al-Ajwani, a father and resident of Rawdah district, said: “I don't believe that driving safely before iftar is enough to get you from one place to another anymore. “I try not to send my son to get anything before iftar because I know it is crazy out there and the behavior of the people is also crazy.” Al-Ajwani said that both government and private organizations should invest in awareness campaigns that teach people how to behave during Ramadan and especially before iftar. Justifying his speeding before iftar, 23-year-old Hazim Al-Safadi said: “It is the only time we break our fast along with our family collectively. “If we do not reach our home in time then we feel disgusted. “That's why we are in a hurry to reach our home earlier than others.”
