CAIRO - Bad roads, high speed and poor traffic law enforcement are the three sides of a pernicious triangle that has put Egypt in one of the highest road accident categories and associated fatalities, according to local and international reports. Manifestations of chaotic driving on motorways and within city boundaries, particularly in these days in the absence of proper policing, are prompting sociologists, men of law, paramedics and ordinary citizens to sound the alarm. According to official reports, some 6,000 people were killed in road accidents in 2010, a figure much contested by informal statistics which speak of double that number. A recent car crash on the 6th October flyover, where a bride, the driver and a relative were killed (the bridegroom is in a very critical condition) while on their way home after the wedding party, has prompted people to ask whether there would be an end to the dark tunnel. Calls are voiced that this problem needs to be addressed in a comprehensive way, since the new traffic law of 2010, which sounded so promising, proved to be completely ineffectual. Studies indicate that drivers bear 70 per cent of the responsibility of road accidents in this country by ignoring traffic rules and ethics. As Adel el-Kashef, the head of the Egyptian Road Society explained, bad roads account for 20 to 30 per cent of accidents, whereas poor car maintenance is the direct cause for 10 to 15 per cent. He stated that urban and non-urban road planning was generally lacking a view that focused on the future and topography. For instance, he added, roads in Cairo were planned 50 years ago to absorb some 650,000 vehicles at the utmost in order to secure smooth traffic movements. Nowadays there are approximately 2,650,000 cars on the capital's streets. Though not justifying the unruly behaviour of Egyptian drivers, el-Kashef believes that crowded streets and frequent jams drive motorists crazy, which again result in more accidents. He is sure that the bloodshed can only be stopped with bold decisions such as banning the issue of new car licences for two years, as he told Al-Massai'ya evening daily. Regular road maintenance is one aspect that should receive extra attention in order to minimise road accidents, said Eissa Sarhan, a professor at Faculty of Engineering, Ain-Shams University. He was appalled that some major roads had not been subject to upgrading since they were built, although 'maintenance' is a prerequisite for road safety. He pointed the finger at construction companies that did not follow international standards when building roads, although the designs were usually up to expectations. He also mentioned the lack of warning signs and signals on vital roads, although they are not expensive, yet of great significance in guiding motorists and organising the traffic. Abdel Rahman Khalaf, a professor of law at the Police Academy, had a different point of view. He believes in the importance of subjecting drivers to periodical tests. “The validity of the driving licence should be linked to the fitness of applicants, which could be determined by a test every now and then,” he suggested. Experts are equally in favour of thorough physical and psychological checkups, particularly as far as professional drivers of heavy vehicles are concerned, since the current procedures are mere formalities.
