The Traffic Safety Institute was provided to the Royal Oman Police (ROP) by PDO as a ‘Gift to the Nation’ to mark the 35th National Day. For many years, PDO has taken steps to reduce road traffic accidents associated with the Company’s operations. To share this long experience, PDO presented the Institute as a Gift to the Nation to promote driver safety nationally and help in making Oman’s roads safe for all.

While its construction was funded by PDO; it was developed in partnership with the ROP, which is responsible for its daily operations. Based at Seeb, the Institute is the first of its kind in the Gulf Region, being specifically designed for developing the skills of current drivers rather than learners.

The Institute has four classrooms, each of which holds around 24 students, a Safety Hall that features several pieces of safety equipment, including seat-belt ‘convincers’, a library and a 250-seat auditorium. Outside the building is a training ground with simulated roads for ‘live’ driver training. The institute is open to all, with defensive driving courses available to both professional drivers and the general public at reasonable fees. It is also available to companies wishing to give their employees training in defensive driving. In addition, Oman’s courts can order drivers convicted of traffic offences to attend sessions at the Institute, with courses varying in length depending on the type of traffic violation they’ve committed.

Among the Institute’s most important users, however, are Omani’s driving instructors. All driving instructors must now attend the Institute for a week-long course, in order to earn a certificate of competency that enables them to continue to practice. The course is tailored to both driver trainers and driving test examiners, so that learner drivers should in future enjoy a higher, and more consistent, standard of training and assessment

The number of fatalities and injuries cased by road traffic accidents on Oman’s roads are continuing to rise. In a randomly selected week in February of 2006, for example, 92 accidents took place, leading to the injury of 39 people and deaths of 10. Many of the accidents on the road are caused by poor driving skills and speeding. PDO and the ROP saw an opportunity to put their joint experience to good use by winning the hearts and minds of young drivers, changing their behaviour and ultimately saving lives and making the roads of Oman safer.