VZCZCXRO4761
RR RUEHAST RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM
DE RUEHAM #3139/01 3241228
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191228Z NOV 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3852
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA 0424
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003139 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA AND OES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TSPL PGOV JO
SUBJECT: Jordan Improves Road Safety Traffic Record in 2008 
 
REF: A. STATE 119012 
      ¶B. AMMAN 2154 
 
AMMAN 00003139  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Although Jordan continues to have one of the highest 
traffic accident rates in the world, it has witnessed a significant 
gain in improving its road-traffic safety record in 2008, reducing 
fatality rates by almost 40%.  Several high-profile traffic 
fatalities focused considerable attention on this issue from the 
King and the Prime Minister.  The Public Security Department has 
increased its traffic monitoring and enforcement on major highways, 
and several NGOs are focused on increased awareness and outreach 
activities.  A new 2008 traffic law provides additional penalties 
for traffic violations.  Numerous challenges remain and local 
experts question whether the remarkable decreases in fatalities, 
injuries, and accidents achieved in 2008 can be sustained.  Under 
the framework of the U.S.-Jordan Science and Technology agreement, 
an initial DVC is planned to identify potential U.S.-Jordan 
collaborations in this area.  End Summary. 
 
Rate of Road Accidents Declines in 2008 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  According to the Jordan Traffic Institute (JTI), every 10 hours 
someone in Jordan is killed in a road accident, with a child killed 
every 35 hours.  This reality, reinforced by several high-profile 
traffic fatalities, including a bus accident on January 26, 2008 on 
the Amman-Jerash highway, in which 26 people were killed, focused 
considerable attention on this issue from the King and the Prime 
Minister.  Senior GOJ intervention, including a project endorsed by 
Queen Rania, has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of 
fatalities, serious injuries, and accidents in 2008 compared to the 
year 2007.  The statistics for the February 1 - October 31 periods 
for both years highlight these improvements: 
-- 453 deaths in 2008 compared to 746 in 2007, a 39.27% decrease. 
-- 10,441 injuries in 2008 compared to 14,387 in 2007, a 27.42% 
decrease. 
-- 74,971 accidents in 2008 compared to 85,303 in 2007, a 12.1% 
decrease. 
 
New Traffic Law Grants More Powers to Police 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  The controversial September 2008 traffic law grants police the 
power to arrest drivers who inflict physical injuries on other 
people, drive under the influence of alcohol or drive 50km (30 
miles) per hour over the speed limit.  The law also sets stiff 
penalties for speeding, reckless driving and running red lights 
while imposing up to a two-week imprisonment and a minimum JD 150 
($210) fine for those who let someone without a license drive their 
car.  The traffic law is seen as a means to change negative 
behaviors on the roads such as speeding and reckless driving which 
have caused so many accidents over the years.  In addition to the 
law, there is an increased presence of traffic police on the roads, 
especially during rush hour. 
 
Many Organizations Converge to Improve Road-Safety 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4.  Essam Shahzadah from the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) 
coordinates road safety initiatives with the Hikmat NGO and other 
partners.  GAM has budgeted JD 3.5 million ($5 million) for traffic 
safety over the last year to almost double the number of traffic 
police to 2,000; install 32 closed circuit TVs and 3 radar cameras; 
and establish 2 traffic control centers at GAM and at the traffic 
police center.  GAM has also spent roughly $200,000 on outreach 
materials.  Some other recent GAM initiatives include: 
-- Launching a road traffic excellence center between GAM, Hikmat, 
the German University, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.  Two 
professors from Germany (a psychologist and a traffic engineer) have 
also started training Jordanian public and private sectors members 
involved in traffic safety. 
-- Concluding agreements with private sector organizations such as 
General Motors, Jaguar, and Toyota to build pedestrian crossings, 
each at a cost of JD 25,000 ($35,000). 
-- Engaging New York Institute for Technology (NYIT) Graphic Design 
graduates to design posters and brochures on traffic safety that 
will be printed and published at GAM expense. 
 
NGOs Step Up Outreach 
--------------------- 
 
¶5.  The Royal Health Awareness Society, under the patronage of Queen 
Rania, launched a traffic awareness campaign in April 2008.  The 
Queen participated in a public march in May 2008 entitled KAFA, or 
"enough" to focus attention on the traffic safety challenges in 
Jordan.  Hikmat for Road Safety is an initiative launched by a 
prominent Jordanian businessman whose son died in a traffic accident 
in January 2008.  Hikmat is working on rehabilitation of schools and 
street zones based on a listing of the most dangerous roads in 
Jordan.  The campaign is targeting 100 schools throughout the 
 
AMMAN 00003139  002 OF 002 
 
 
kingdom, providing safer options for the children.  Several business 
organizations now support Hikmat by sponsoring safety improvements 
at these locations.  The Hikmat founder has established an annual 
scholarship for a Masters degree in road-safety for a Jordanian 
student at the University of Chicago.  The increased outreach might 
be paying dividends: AMEN FM or "Safety" FM a radio station which 
links the public to special traffic police radio frequencies, has 
reported a significant increase in the number of citizens calling in 
observed traffic violations. 
 
Potential U.S. - Jordan Collaboration 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Recognizing the importance of road safety for the economic 
growth and development of Jordan, the Jordan-U.S. Joint Committee on 
Science and Technology Cooperation identified road-traffic safety as 
an area of collaboration (ref B).  ESTH has discussed road-traffic 
safety issues with the Jordan Traffic Institute (a division of the 
PSD), the GAM, and the 2 leading NGOs in this arena - Hikmat and the 
Royal Health Awareness Society.  OES and the Embassy have proposed 
an initial DVC with key Jordanian stakeholders in the traffic safety 
arena to discuss potential collaboration.  Several Jordanian 
stakeholders also met with OES Senior Advisor for Health at the 
Middle East Road Safety Partnership held in October in Doha. 
 
Challenges Remain 
----------------- 
 
¶7.  GAM's Shahzadah noted one of the biggest challenges in Jordan 
includes a lack of expertise - Jordan currently has only 4 traffic 
engineers.  He applauded the significant drop in road fatalities in 
2008 due to the focus on this issue from the King, and cautioned 
that longer term annual decreases of 7-8% are more sustainable. 
Col. Emad Hajarat, JTI Director, also believes the recent spike in 
road-safety gains in Jordan will flatten, in part due to weak 
interagency coordination, a lack of science-based decision making in 
developing traffic management policies, and the autonomy enjoyed by 
local police in setting town speed limits. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.gov.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
 
BEECROFT