Team $5$: Malak Soliman, Mohammad Musmar, Mohammed Al Rasheed, Leen Mourad

ENGL $210-501$

Dr$.$ Mary Queen

Technical Report Final Draft

Due Date: $30$ March $2024$

Abstract

Qatar faces a significant challenge with traffic safety, as rapid development leads to increased traffic incidents. Traffic accidents result in thousands of trauma cases and emergency room visits annually, highlighting the urgent need for solutions to improve road safety. The report aims to explore the root causes of traffic accidents in Qatar, including human error and poor road infrastructure. It seeks to propose practical solutions that leverage automated safety technologies, artificial intelligence in traffic management, and infrastructure improvements to enhance road safety. The methodology involves primary research through interviews with industry professionals, secondary research using government websites, newspaper articles, and scholarly articles, and the development of a decision matrix to evaluate potential solutions based on various criteria such as cost$-$effectiveness and implementation feasibility. Three main solutions were analyzed: infrastructure improvements, artificial intelligence messages and message screens, and automated vehicle safety technologies. Each solution was assessed for its potential to improve road safety, with a focus on feasibility, cost, and effectiveness. The decision matrix identified artificial intelligence messages and screens as the most effective solution, considering their high impact on driver awareness and ease of implementation. The report concludes that implementing artificial intelligence messages and message screens is the most optimal solution for improving road safety in Qatar. This approach is cost$-$effective, easily implemented, and has the potential to significantly reduce traffic accidents by enhancing driver awareness.

$1.$Introduction

Globally, traffic accidents are a devastating problem, claiming about $1\mathrm{.}3$ million lives each year $($WHO$,2020).$ Qatar has $2,500$ trauma cases and $5,000$ emergency room visits per year, making road safety a priority $($The Peninsula, $2024).$ We examine this issue in depth in this report to outline the issues and propose solutions based on research and data. We use historical data and current trends to improve roads and drastically reduce accidents. According to Mamtani et al$.(2012),$ strict traffic surveillance reduced the annual death rate from $19\mathrm{.}9$ to $14\mathrm{.}7$ per $100,000.$ Human error and poor road conditions cause most traffic accidents here, often exacerbated by reckless driving. We must invest in advanced vehicle safety technologies, use AI in traffic management, and improve infrastructure to address these issues. Innovative solutions like automatic safety systems and improved road designs are part of our holistic approach. We use a decision matrix to evaluate each option and implement the best ones to protect our community. Road safety in Qatar is a shared responsibility. Government, local stakeholders, and the community must work together. Not just a summary of facts, this report is a passionate call to action. We must act quickly to address this urgent issue and ensure a safer future for Qataris.

$2.$ Methodology

We focused on the primary and secondary research to identify several solutions that can improve Qatar$$s safety in the future. We also created a decision matrix which then helped us decide what solutions are most suitable financially, effectively, etc.

To establish the most effective option for Qatar in terms of the environmental, health, and social implications of high injury rates due to traffic accidents, we developed a set of criteria to evaluate the solutions discovered throughout the research period. This allowed us to filter down all the available ideas and guarantee that the chosen solution is the best fit for Qatar.

$2\mathrm{.}1$ Primary research

To understand this local issue, we interviewed a professional civil engineer that works in the industry. Mr$.$ Ahmed Mourad is the project manager in Qatar Diar real estate company which oversees infrastructure development in rural cities such a Lusail $($which is the only smart city in Qatar$).$ His most remarkable project was the construction of Lusail boulevard before the World Cup. He has worked in developing a safer road environment in urban areas such as Al Shamal and Al Khor road which was his most recent projects.

$2\mathrm{.}2$ Secondary research

For our secondary research, we researched the topic on different government websites, newspaper articles and scholarly articles. The statistical data and information helped us understand the problem and solution better, and the information we got was reliable. The main source of secondary data were scholarly articles available through the TAMU $($Texas A&M University$)$ library database. Scholarly papers are highly credible secondary research sources since they are both reliable and thorough in their informatio