Speaking ahead of ROADEX 2006, the Middle East’s largest road industry exhibition, Wim Westerhuis, Director General of International Road Federation (IRF) said that the traffic accidents in the Gulf States cost their countries an average 1.5%-2.5% of their GDP. He added that the majority of the traffic accidents' victims in the region are youngsters in the early twenties. IRF provides an international forum for analysis and discussion of the full spectrum of transport issues, related to roads and road transport.
According to Westerhuis, the impact of road deaths on GDP is less than 0.75% in countries like the US, the UK, France and Germany.
According to Kuna news agency, Westerhuis said that the traffic accidents in the UAE cost this country an average 1.6% of its GDP.
In Saudi Arabia, traffic accidents cost the kingdom an average 2.4% of its GDP while in Kuwait this cost amounts to an average 1.8% of its GDP.
ROADEX 2006 will be held 12-15 March 2006 in the UAE.
