There was a 21.3% decline in accident rate across the Sultanate until the end of September this year compared to the same period in 2016. The number of accidents declined to 2 thousand and 738 at the end of September 2017 compared to 3 thousand and 480 during the same period last year, according to figures released by the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

Compared to August this year, when the total number of accidents was 232, in September the number of accidents declined to 157. The total number of deaths from accidents until the end of September this year declined 8.3% to 466 as against 508 during the comparable period last year.  There were 307 Omanis among the dead, of whom 236 were males and 71 females. The number of expatriates who died in accidents was 159 as against 189 last year (a decline of 15.9%), of whom 134 were males and 25 females, the data showed. There was a 5.3% decline in the number of injured to 2,341 until the end of September this year as against 2,471 during the comparable period in 2016. Among the injured, there were 1,732 Omanis as against 1,854 last year registering a decline of 6.6%. Among expatriates the number of injured this year was 609 compared to 617 during the same period last year, the NCSI figures showed. Of the total number of accidents 54% happened during the day.

Among the governorates, Muscat topped with the highest rate of traffic accidents at 33.8% until the end of September this year, followed by Al Batinah South at 16.6%, Al Batinah North at 8.3% and Ad Dakhliyah at 7.6%. The rate of accidents in the rest of the governorates came to 33.8%, the data revealed. There was a 21.5% decline in the number of vehicles registered in the Sultanate until the end of September this year. The total number of vehicles registered during the period stood at 60 thousand and 64 compared to 76 thousand and 468 during the same period last year, according to NCSI statistics. The number of private vehicles registered at the end of September this year declined to 45 thousand and 498 compared to 56 thousand and 782 during the same period last year, a decline of 19.9%. The number of commercial vehicles registered at the end of September 2017 declined by 34.8% to 10 thousand and 234 from 15 thousand and 693 during the same period last year, while rental vehicle registered increased by 20.4% to 3 thousand and 271 compared to 2 thousand and 716 during the same period last year.

The number of taxis registered declined by 27.3% to 363 at the end of September this year compared to 499 and the number of motorbikes registered during the period declined by 2.1% to 513 compared to 524 at the end of September 2016. Only 55 diplomatic vehicles were registered at the end of September this year compared to 61 during the same period last year, a decline of 9.8%. The number of tractors registered also declined by 54.3% to 16 until the end of September this year compared to 35 during the comparable period last year and the number of driving school vehicles registered at the end of September this year declined 27.8% to 114 compared to 158 vehicles at the end of September 2016, the NCSI data revealed. There were one million 426 thousand and 350 vehicles on the Sultanate's roads at the end of September 2017, the NCSI data showed.

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