Saher is nothing more than another business, a money maker for those who collect the fines. It does nothing to make driving safer. 1. It only catches speeders. People who tailgate, drive aggressively, drive on the shoulder, etc. are not affected. 2. Many people slow down and turn on their hazard lights when they see a Saher camera; once they pass it, they then speed up again. Yes, some get caught but many see the hazard or brake lights of others and slow down just long enough to pass. 3. It's common for drivers to cover their plates with white paint, make them too dirty to read, or even use stolen plates. Until drivers are properly educated, until their hearts and minds actually believe in safe driving, and until there are trained professionals enforcing the laws (instead of just cameras) these tragedies and needless deaths will continue. James McDaniel I always have to laugh when I see drivers “covering” their license plates with silver duct tape after the checkpoint on the highway to Madinah. One of these days, I'm going to ask a police officer at the checkpoint about people covering their number plates and why they do it. Toni Riethmaier Time and again we read such columns from concerned writers. The problem is that there is no one paying attention to what is happening. Campaigns? What campaigns? See how the UAE implements its laws and how effective they have been. Here in Saudi Arabia, the traffic police themselves flout the rules, so how is the common man expected to follow them. Yesterday, I saw two sedans standing halfway through an intersection on a red light. There was a traffic cop at the opposite end. They ran the red light as if to challenge him. He didn't move. The police checkpoints are a joke. Drivers strap on their seat belts when they see the checkpoints and take them off later. What is required is more police presence in moving vehicles. Usama Raheel Khan This issue isn't about Saudi drivers, taxi drivers or expat drivers. From my experience, I can honestly say the appalling driving standards, lack of awareness, lack of consideration for other road users and downright idiocy are typical of the vast majority of drivers here. For example, the road signs erected on the islands on Jeddah's Tahlia Street clearly state in English and Arabic that cars on the island have priority and still no one gives way! Even more annoying is that the police cars parked there do not intervene. Until some standards are imposed, the roads will continue to be anarchic. Andrew Wilcox-Jones Firstly, those responsible for instituting the rules of the road are the ones ignoring them. If you notice, expatriates rarely get involved in accidents and when they do, it is usually caused by a Saudi driver. They don't respect traffic lights and permitted parking areas. They sway from one lane to another and another and then back without indicating; they speed way beyond the permitted speed limit and knock or graze you and then run or use a traffic officer to rule the case against you, the expatriate. First, install Saher at every traffic light and on every stretch of highway. Install speed governors in vehicles, increase the fines for traffic violations including not using seat belts, turning and changing lanes without indication, wrong parking, etc. Include civilian traffic police to catch drivers who talk on phones while driving. Send to prison drivers who text and drive because this is worse than drunken driving. Inspect vehicles at random for car system warning signs, e.g., brakes, lights, etc., and check the health of tires. Kim Lanny
