RIYADH: A new center to enhance road safety in the Kingdom was inaugurated on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Center of Epidemiology of Road Traffic Accidents will use data and best practice to decrease the number of accidents, preserve people’s health, and increase the quality of life.

The president of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, Dr. Jalal bin Mohammed Al-Owaisi, said his organization aimed to become a regional leader in the monitoring and research of injuries and accidents by 2025.

He added that the center’s establishment was in line with SRCA efforts to protect people’s lives, decrease the number of deaths resulting from accidents, and achieve the highest levels of road safety, especially since deaths resulting from road accidents were among the highest numbers of deaths in the Kingdom.

Center director Dr. Youssef Al-Safyan said the new body was keen to be one of the best regionally in specializing in the epidemiology of road traffic data so it could help the decision-making process in finding suitable solutions. He added that the center was looking for cooperation and integration with government, public, and private sector entities.

The SRCA, through the center, intends to establish an integrated system to monitor injuries and accidents and to enhance the environment of scientific research and study in this field, develop it at the national and regional levels, in addition to preparing national experts who will be well-versed in the field of monitoring and researching injuries and accidents.

The center also supports communicating with society and enabling people to take part in setting programs and creating initiatives that aim to decrease the number of accidents.