Aroba Al-Munaif

Al-Jazriah newspaper THE Ministry of Education has launched the Safe Driving program in cooperation with the General Directorate of Traffic in order to provide the ministry staff with the necessary knowledge and traffic skills to achieve safety while driving. The program will be implemented in different phases. The Ministry of Education is considered one of the most active departments in employing women and has the highest proportion of female employees compared to other sectors. The program is a conscious and wise start towards the implementation of the decision to allow women to drive in an orderly and disciplined manner in terms of the preparation process. The program will be implemented in all parts of the Kingdom. It will raise awareness of the staff and educate them about the safe driving habits and directives of driving rules. According to the statistics published at that meeting, it was clear the catastrophic situation of car accidents in the Kingdom. In 1438H, 460,000 accidents were recorded, resulting in 33,000 injuries and 7,789 deaths; an average of 20 deaths per day ages 18 to 30. The statistics presented at the meeting ranked the Kingdom high in the number of deaths resulting from car accidents. It is second in the Arab world and the world's third, and in my mind, a case that was overlooked, whether deliberately or unintentionally, is that when women were prevented from driving at that time. When women do not know driving etiquette and basics and therefore the skills required, they should not be giving advice or guidance. In the eyes of knowledgeable male and expert driver an ignorant and a person who does not understand anything in the field should not profess advice. The result is women giving up ground to those driving whatever the conscious level of driver and lack of impact. In my opinion that ignorance was one of the reasons that put us at the top of vehicle accidents lists. Women entering in the field of driving will make them aware and familiar with the guidance and teachings of driving, which enables them to transfer that conscious culture to the environment and in particular the masculine driver. Her role will become one of those who’ll contribute in reducing the catastrophic magnitude of traffic accidents — God willing. The male in the family will trust her when she gets into the driving seat, confident in her skill and knowledge, and when giving him advice and asking them to take care to follow the traffic instructions and increase awareness of the dangers in surrounding areas. He will give up his pride and listen, and perhaps not be reckless and abide by the rules of traffic. This will contribute to the preservation of safety and peace of nation away from all the dangers of the road. Without a doubt, a mother is a school if she is well prepared and qualified and empowered. This will be reflected in her family environment. Safe Driving is a beacon of hope for women who are determined to take the lead in learning and mastering driving. Let them have the skills and awareness of driving so they could have a positive impact on themselves and their families in general.