Egypt's unemployment rate falls in Q2 '25 – CAPMAS    EGP swings vs. USD in early Sunday trade    EGX launches 1st phone app    Egypt achieves record primary budget surplus of EGP 629bn despite sharp fall in Suez Canal revenues    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Resumption of production at El Nasr marks strategic step towards localising automotive industry: El-Shimy    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    United Bank achieves EGP 1.51bn net profit in H1 2025, up 26.9% year-on-year    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



More than war; traffic-related deaths exceed armed conflict
Published in Daily News Egypt on 16 - 02 - 2006

CAIRO: Do you leave Heliopolis at 2:30 p.m. to make a 3 p.m. appointment downtown, only to arrive 15 minutes late cursing the slow drivers and dilapidated cars that caused your delay?
If this sounds familiar, then you are a typical traffic offender. Most individuals who speed and violate traffic laws have poor time management skills, according to Road Safety Consultant Theo Holtzheuser.
Holtzheuser, a retired Canadian police officer of 25 years, was speaking at the Road Safety and Traffic Management Conference and Exhibition, which opened yesterday at the Cairo International Conference Center and continues today.
The event is in its second year, and the three "e s of road safety - education, enforcement and engineering - are the theme this year.
While public awareness campaigns go some way to improving the mindset of unsafe drivers, Holtzheuser believes that education is most effectively achieved through enforcement.
Drawing on his own experience and examples of the improved safety of New York over the past decade, Holtzheuser explains that when police enforce small infractions such as broken headlights, they encourage a caring attitude in society that consequently prevents more serious crimes.
The quantity of tickets issued is the traditional metric of traffic police. Rather than simply seeking to increase the number of violations that are caught, Holtzheuser says that police should aim to decrease violations to zero and analyze the details of the violations - such as the age and occupation of drivers - to devise more effective enforcement strategies.
Nevertheless, Holtzheuser concedes that police cannot force all drivers to comply with the law by issuing tickets. He cites a Canadian study which found that the effectiveness of enforcement lasts approximately 35 days; thereafter drivers usually revert to their former behavior.
Continuous strict enforcement therefore needs to be accompanied by education and awareness campaigns to send a positive and lasting message to drivers. Road safety is a shared responsibility, says Holtzheuser. Lawlessness is contagious ... Compliance is contagious.
Dr. David Bishai, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies the economics of road safety, adds that improved traffic enforcement is amongst the least expensive methods of saving lives. In Uganda, for example, improved monitoring using supervision teams and equipment resulted in a reduction in road fatalities at the cost of $314 per life saved per year. This is inexpensive compared to the expenditure on many healthcare projects, yet Bishai says that most traffic enforcement programs are under funded despite their demonstrable effectiveness.
In Egypt, approximately 6,000 people die in road accidents annually. General Authority for Roads, Bridges and Land Transport Chairman Mohammed Foda explains that such accidents cost society approximately LE 4 billion or 2 percent of gross domestic product.
Three-quarters of road accidents in Egypt are the result of the behavior of drivers, and this mostly relates to speeding. Vehicle defects, primarily due to tire problems, cause another 20 percent of road accidents. The remaining 5 percent of accidents are caused by environmental conditions, such as poor visibility.
In relative terms, more than 16 people die annually in Egypt for every 10,000 registered vehicles, compared to an average of two to three deaths per year for every 10,000 registered vehicles in developed countries.
The higher rate of fatalities is common in the developing world, according to Sharief Gomaa, assistant to the Minister of Interior. Although developing countries possess only 20 percent of the vehicles in the world, they account for 88 percent of road accident casualties.
Automobile manufacturers were notably missing from the event. Holtzheuser says that car companies must bear some responsibility for educating the public, and that the glorification of speeding and irresponsible driving behavior in car advertisements and movies has contributed to misconduct on the road.
There are some 1.2 million traffic fatalities around the world every year. During the course of today, more than 3,000 people will die in road accidents. Many others may survive but will be disfigured, disabled or paralyzed. Road accidents now claim more casualties globally than armed conflict; something to consider when you rush to your next appointment.


Clic here to read the story from its source.