Improving Transportation Safety in Oman

The statistics are grim: during an eight-year period, more than 6,500 people were killed and more than 75,000 injured in auto accidents on Oman’s roads. With a population just under three million, this sultanate on the Arabian Peninsula has one of the worst reported road crash fatality rates in the world, according to Al Mustadaama (“Sustainability”), an independent Omani social research enterprise.

Those bleak statistics may be about to change, thanks to heightened awareness in Oman and input from experts like Roy Lucke, director of transportation safety programs at Northwestern University Center for Public Safety (NUCPS). Lucke, who has been at NUCPS for more than 30 years, teaches crash investigation programs and has been involved in dozens of sponsored research projects.

In September Lucke was a featured presenter at a four-day road safety program in Muscat organized by the United States Embassy in Oman in coordination with the Royal Oman Police. The conference focused on traffic safety, accident investigation, and traffic management strategies. Using PowerPoint with lecture and demonstrations, along with visits to Omani facilities, Lucke’s primary topic was traffic safety, including traffic crash investigation, traffic law enforcement, and public information and education.

Identified in a Times of Oman article as a “leading American expert in global accidents prevention and investigation,” Lucke commended the efforts of the Sultanate to curtail road accidents. “The government of Oman is ahead of much of the world in recognizing the need to protect lives on its roadways,” said Lucke. “They are very willing to look outside their borders for strategies that could help them in protecting the lives of their citizens.”

After the conference Lucke noted that “the Omanis seemed very pleased with the program and feedback was positive. They are looking to establish a long-term relationship with Northwestern to provide training and consulting to assist them in reducing traffic fatalities.”