Motorists urged to avoid speeding during Eid

AMMAN — Motorists are urged to refrain from speeding in the empty streets during the Eid Al Adha holiday, Amman Traffic Department Director Col. Basem Kharabsheh said on Sunday.

During holidays, motorists are sometimes tempted to drive at high speeds as they find the streets less busy, according to Kharabsheh.

Speeding leads to more dangerous accidents with higher losses in lives and properties, the official warned.

“Although car accidents are more frequent during work days, they are usually limited to rear-end collisions with minor damages,” he told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

Serious and fatal accidents are usually registered during holidays, due to a lack of the culture of respecting traffic laws, said Kharabsheh, adding that many motorists abide by regulations to avoid tickets, not out of safety awareness.

The traffic department’s measures during the Eid Al Adha holiday started on Friday to monitor traffic flow near shopping areas, which become crowded before the Muslim feast of the sacrifice, as consumers shop for new clothes and traditional sweets to mark the occasion.

On the first day of Eid Al Adha, which marks the end of the pilgrimage season, traffic personnel will be available near mosques that perform Eid prayer and then at sacrifice areas in order to facilitate traffic flow, said the official.

As citizens and guests usually head to restaurants and entertainment facilities in the evening, traffic police officers will be there to ease possible congestions, Kharabsheh said, adding that roads leading to and near tourist attractions are also expected to be busy.

In a move to facilitate shopping and other activities, the traffic department said it will only penalise dangerous and obstructive violations during the holiday, which continues through Thursday.

Motorist Abdullah Al Haj said he normally tries to finish his visits to family members and relatives in Eid during the day, as streets become crowded in the evening.

“Last Eid I got stuck in a traffic jam for around two hours… some motorists’ behaviour is irritating,” he said.

Traffic police will distribute greeting cards and sweets to motorists as a positive gesture to communicate with the public, Kharabsheh said.