By Hermoine Macura-Noble
Special to The Times Kuwait
New research names Kuwait in a list of countries where you are most likely to die on the road. According to experts at the car subscription service FINN – The top four deadliest roads in the world are found in Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Malaysia and Kuwait.
The study analyses the number of fatalities due to car accidents in each country and ranked the most dangerous countries by deaths per 100,000 people. In first place was Saudi Arabia with the highest number of road deaths with 35.94 per 100,000 people. Saudi Arabia has large deposits of crude oil, meaning petrol prices are very cheap. As a result, more people can afford to drive fast fuel-burning supercars which can be less safe than common cars due to factors such as poor visibility.
Thailand has the second deadliest roads in the world according to the report, with 32 deaths per 100,000 people. Many Thai citizens ride motorcycles rather than drive cars, and it is common for many people to ride on a motorbike together. This, combined with a lack of helmets, can result in an increased likelihood of road deaths. Malaysia has the third-highest number of road deaths followed by Kuwait.
The study also looked at the countries where you are least likely to die on the road – with the top three safest roads in the world found in Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
According to the report, Iceland has the fewest road deaths, with just 2 per 100,000 people. Despite poor weather conditions and many unpaved roads, Icelandic drivers are some of the least likely in the world to face fatalities on the road. Iceland is a hub for tourism, and many popular roads around the golden circle and Reykjavik are tarmacked and well-maintained compared to the sparsely populated centre of the country which is connected by a network of gravel roads.
Norway has similar road issues to Iceland, mainly based on adverse winter weather conditions. Despite this, Norway’s roads also have some of the lowest number of reported deaths. Scandinavian driving lessons and tests are notoriously thorough, and speeding fines are high, resulting in safer roads.
Switzerland has the third-fewest road deaths, at 2.25 per 100,000 people. Swiss driving laws are strictly enforced, and there is little tolerance for speeding and reckless driving as Swiss roads have a reputation for spectacular views from winding mountain passes.
By Hermoine Macura-Noble
The first Australian English speaking News Anchor in the Middle East. She is also the Author of Faces of the Middle East and Founder of US-based 501c3 charity – The House of Rest which helps to ease the suffering of victims of war. For more from our Contributing Editor, you can follow her on Instagram, here.
