Kuwait marks World Telecommunications, Information Society Day

KUWAIT, May 15 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Ministry of Communications marked Wednesday the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day with a conference on the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in improving road safety.
"The safe usage of information and communications technology on roads helps reduce the huge human and material losses caused by road accidents," Minister of Communications and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Salem Mutheeb Al-Utheina said.
"The way we use new technologies determines its impact on us." Al-Utheina said the event is meant to show the role of ICT in upgrading efficiency of traffic management and improve road safety to save people's lives.
"According to the Report of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) released by UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon, 1.3 million people die each year in traffic related accidents and another 20-50 million people are injured mainly in developing countries around the world. As a result, governments and individuals suffer an estimated USD 518 billion in global economic loss," the minister said.
He pointed out that driver distraction and road-user behavior, which includes "text messaging" and interfacing with in-vehicle navigation or communication systems while driving, are among the leading contributors to road traffic fatalities and injuries.
Al-Utheina stressed the need for cross-sectoral collaboration to increase the safety of Kuwaiti roads.
"The odds of road accidents rise by fourfold when drivers use cell phones and communication devices," he said.
The Minister pointed out that the International Communication Union (ITU) has been leading worldwide efforts in developing state-of-the-art ICT standards for Intelligent Transport Systems and driver safety that utilize a combination of computers, communications, positioning and automation technologies, including in-car radars for collision avoidance.
"The ITU has also been developing standards for safe user interfaces and communication systems in vehicles as well as optimizing driving performance by eliminating unsafe technology-related distractions while driving," he added.
For her part, Head of Technical Cooperation and International Relations at the Kuwait Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) Manal Al-Mazyad said that the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is celebrated on 17 May each year starting from 2006.
She added that the annual event marks the anniversary of the signature of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865 which led to the creation of the International Telecommunication Union.
"The day is celebrated with a different theme every year. The theme of this year is 'ICTs and improving road safety'," Al-Mazyad noted.
The theme for World Telecommunication Day 1997 was "Telecommunications and Humanitarian Assistance", for World Telecommunication Day 2005 it was "Time for Action", for World Telecommunication Day 2006 it was "Promoting Global Cyber-security", for World Telecommunication Day 2007 it was "Connecting the Youth, the Opportunities of ICT" and for World Telecommunication Day 2008 it was "Connecting persons with disabilities".
Al-Mazyad unveiled that the CAIT is coordinating with the ministry of communications, ministry of interior and the three telecom operators on local market to mark the occasion with a series of activities including a wide-scale awareness campaign on the use of ICT to avoid road accidents.
Meanwhile, the participating interior ministry officials highlighted the ministry's efforts and initiatives to benefit from ICT in improving road safety.
"The Ministry is eager to develop its road safety devices and programs," said Colonel Tariq Al-Duwsari, of IT department at the Ministry of Interior.
He disclosed that the Traffic Department has already a wide array of the most sophisticated road safety devices including high-tech speed cameras, radars, operation room to control and monitor traffic on different Kuwaiti roads.
Head of Operations Section at the Traffic Department Major Mohammad Al-Mansouri made a presentation about the traffic technological programs and devices used in Kuwait.
"The new road cameras and radars are helping to achieve discipline on roads and improving safety," he told KUNA.
Al-Mansouri pointed out that the Traffic Department has recently installed 30 new radars on highways.
He unveiled that the road accident deaths rate declined in 2012, for the first time in years, to 457 fatalities compared with 498 a year earlier.
"We urge drivers to cooperate with traffic police to help make Kuwait roads safer," he said. (end) mjb.abd.ibi KUNA 151919 May 13NNNN