Damaged Roads Help Save Lives: Egypt’s Traffic Authority

Egypt’s traffic authority announced on Monday that “only five percent” of crashes on Egypt’s roads are the result of poor infrastructure, adding that damaged roads help prevent accidents.

In statements to pro-government newspaper Youm7, Adel Turk, the President of the Roads and Bridges Authority said that the main reason for road accidents in Egypt “is the lack of [driver] attention and fog.”

“The poorer the condition of the road the less likely accidents will occur…because damaged roads force the driver to lower speeds [and pay more attention],” said Turk to Youm7.

This is not the first time a traffic official has made such a statement. Previously, Yousry El-Rouby, the head of Egypt’s highways said that “if we started with developing roads and vehicles first, road crashes toll will maintain high,” adding that the solution is to start with drivers.

In statements to the Youm7-owned Cairo Post, El-Rouby said that many Egyptian drivers were unaware of basic driving rules and that he himself had “failed” when he tried to take a driving exam abroad.

Despite these statements, one of President Sisi’s campaign promises has been the renovation of roads and the building of new highways and bridges.

According to the WHO, 62.9 percent  of Egypt’s injury-related deaths are due to traffic crashes. In 2014, a total of over 14,000 accidents and over 6,000 deaths were recorded, according to CAPMAS.

Meanwhile, a study released by the World Bank in 2014 revealed that Cairo’s infamous traffic costs Egypt EGP 47 billion (USD 6.5 billion) annually and is expected to reach EGP 105 billion (USD 14.6 billion) by 2030.