The problem of pedestrian accidents is growing over the years and has become serious in developing countries as they continue to make up a significant proportion of traffic deaths. This paper focuses on the issues concerning road traffic accidents and injuries sustained by pedestrians in three Gulf countries which are rich and rapidlydeveloping namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The results of this study have shown that the problem of pedestrian accidents is growing in the Gulf countries studied and is becoming more serious over the years with pedestrian fatalities forming a substantial proportion of total road accident fatalities. The Gulf countries lost ground when comparing their pedestrian accidents with those of developed countries. Young pedestrians were found to be particularly at risk with about 40 percent of total pedestrian fatalities. Suggestions for short-term and long-term countermeasures have been outlined. (A).
Abstract