Little better, one year after the traffic law

Yomna Kamel Middle East Times staff


THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE'S JOURNEYS ARE CUT SHORT BY PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS EVERY YEAR

After a series of horrific traffic accidents in 1998 prompted the People's Assembly to pass a tougher traffic law in January 1999, little has changed on the country's roads. Although the law is on the books, its application is nearly non-existent, a situation which is prompting motorists to continue their irresponsible driving.

"There is no problem with the law, but with its implementation," said Saad Al Khawalqa, head of the Transport Committee for the People's Assembly and major supporter of the law. "The problem with enforcing the law is that drivers simply do not respect it."

Major points of the law stipulate that drivers and front seat passengers must wear seat belts or be fined E£50 and that driving while using mobile phones without a hands-free was also to be penalized with a E£50 fine. A stiffer penalty of E£500 was to be given to drivers caught under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Although the legislation seems enforceable, traffic police, responsible with meting out fines are underpaid, work long hours and therefore are easily bribed. This in turn encourages motorists to disregard the law.

Lack of respect for traffic police and consequently the law can clearly be seen when accidents were tabulated for last year. According to statistics released by the Ministerial Committee for Traffic on January 26, some 5,000 people were killed in 22,300 accidents in 1999, nearly the same numbers recorded for 1998.

In an effort to reach the people, street signs were posted explaining the rules of the road and driver's etiquette. As is with the case of the new traffic law, these seem to have had little affect on motorists' behavior.

Horiya Ahmed, a psychologist at the American University in Cairo thinks that Egyptian drivers have become reckless with their driving for a number of factors.

"When young people see their fathers and other adults violating traffic laws without being punished, they grow up thinking it is acceptable not to respect the law," she said.

Abiding by traffic laws has even turned into an object of ridicule forcing those who may want to be law abiding citizens to cave into peer pressure.

"Sometimes, if they do respect it, they think others will make fun of them. That is yet another reason why we see the majority of people not respecting traffic rules," Ahmed explains.

Some of the most shocking accidents have been taking place on highways between trucks and buses, which have often been caused by driver negligence and are tied to drug and alcohol abuse.

While 31 percent of accidents are due to mechanical failure or poor road conditions, 69 percent happen because of driver negligence, a fact that has legislatures scrambling for ways to rectify the situation.

In reaction to this, the Transport Committee at the People's Assembly has suggested conducting random blood and urine test on long distance bus and truck drivers.

"It will focus on long distance public and private sector drivers," said Al Khawalqa. How and when this system is going to be implemented is still not clear.

But according to Ahmed, at issue in reducing traffic accidents are not laws, random drug tests or street signs, but comprehensive traffic education.

"Education is key to raising awareness of the importance of abiding by traffic rules," she said. "Children should be the target of awareness campaigns that reach them in their schools, since it is behavior passed onto them by their parents and peers."

But with millions of drivers currently on the roads, a massive media blitz promoting traffic safety could also make life a lot easier for everyone.

"Media also plays a role in making the public aware of the consequences of committing traffic offenses. However, traffic police need to be portrayed in a positive light and have to live up to that image," she said.