ammonnews.net

Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Interior Minister Ghaleb Al Zu'bi said Saturday that new measures will be put in place to minimize traffic accidents, and urged that serious offenses, which are a major cause of death, be firmly dealt with technically and legally.

He spoke as he led a delegation, comprising the ministers of public works and housing and transport as well as the Public Security Department's (PSD) director general, to the scene of a three-vehicle collision on the desert Highway to Aqaba in the town of Qatraneh, where eight people were killed and 17 injured, some seriously.

In a briefing, the head of the PSD Central Traffic Department's investigation unit blamed a sudden change of lane by the driver of a trailer truck, that collided with a car and a tour mini-bus, as the cause of the accident. He denied that the burst of a truck tire was behind the accident.

"It is unacceptable that we stand by with our hands tied and see innocent lives needlessly perish for any reason", said Zu'bi, calling for launching a serious campaign and in-depth study of the circumstances which result in such accidents and address them promptly.

The minister stressed public awareness, road signs and vehicle safety regulations as the basis to avoid accidents and protect lives, urging that all defects on the busy desert road be addressed promptly as a national priority.

The interior minister chaired a meeting which recommended a series of measures, including setting up two police stations on the highway to test the payload of vehicles, particularly trucks, and ensure they meet safety standards, and the drivers' mental and physical fitness, as well as intensifying speed controls.