From: meb asfaha (mebasfaha@yahoo.ca)
Date: Fri Jul 09 2010 - 01:16:25 EDT
Fundamental Road Safety Choices and Specific Drivers Risk Behaviour in Eritrea:
Cars, Cyclists, Pedestrians, and Animals
Mebrahtu Asfaha
To deal adequately with the traffic problem in Eritrea, and the threats of vehicular accidents, and to find the most effective way to prevent the loss of human life against these threats, we must first of all determine the essential components, positive and negative, of the contemporary traffic problems in Eritrea.
The essential point of departure is, and remains, most Eritrean drivers do not respect traffic signs, pedestrians, and cyclists, and the rules and commands of driving.
If one walks, for instance, even briefly, in the streets of Asmara , which has all the essential elements of modern traffic facilities such as traffic lights, traffic signs, pedestrian cross walks, one faces a dilemma- a dilemma of when to obey the laws of traffic.
On the one hand, the red light signals for the vehicles to stop, likewise the cross walk indicate a location for pedestrians to cross, the median lines on the roads are reference points for drivers to be on their respective lanes. On the other hand, these traffic signs, thus acknowledged in theory, have never been so profoundly and radically disobeyed, in the streets of Asmara , on the practical level.
Without sounding too much condescending, to stop on the red light, to walk on the cross walk, not to jaywalk, to respect all the traffic and the road signs seems to be essentially normal and basic rules to follow. You would think that even elementary school children and student drivers would follow these simple instructions with ease. Yet today if you drive in the streets of Asmara , or walk in any small or big towns of Eritrea you would risk of being involved in a traffic accident.
Last week I witnessed numerous road accidents between vehicles and bicycles and animals. One accident was on the intersection of Expo between a horse and a car. The horse sustained a head injury and was bleeding profusely through his neck, nose and mouth. It was a terrific scene and it was by far the most disturbing road accident I have witnessed.
The roots of this contradiction are to be sought at the lack of enforcing the laws.
Today, because most Eritrean cities and towns and roads are not yet traffic congested, (which is a common problem in many countries), and since one can drive, and park anywhere, even in downtown Asmara with ease and for free, is precisely the time when many reforms in driving instructions, in pedestrian rules, in traffic violation penalties, and in rigorous, and merciless ticket writing effort by law enforcement officers could be implemented.
Sorting out the traffic chaos in Eritrea can be handled very simply if one makes distinctions, and knows a few basic, simple principles.
First of all, there must be a synergy between the law enforcement officers, the insurance company, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. The traffic signs, the rules and commands by law enforcement officers, and the question of how prudently the penalties are given and the consequences beyond monetary punishment such as an increase in insurance coasts for these most offenders, the suspension of drivers licence for most dangerous drivers have to be assessed in a rigorous manner that any policy has to be effective.
For instance, serving a token penalty, for drivers who violet traffic rules is not enough. The penalty, in order to be effective, has to be severe enough that would impede future negligible offences. Currently, penalty for serious traffic offences in Eritrea , which is rarely given, could only be described as a token reminder.
Moreover, penalty per se is not enough. It has to go hand in hand with the road safety education. If the rules and commands of the traffic are to survive in an age of over traffic congestion then it must be harnessed in tandem with public education of road safety. If the roads are built on the application of rules and commands of traffic then we must seek to educate our citizens in the demanding regime of that science and other knowledge.
That knowledge has to be imparted, especially, to public transportation operators of whom much is expected to uphold public safety such as taxi drivers (ironically, who are by far the most offenders).
The traffic problems in Eritrea have been known for a long time, yet so many of the problems are positively easy to solve.
Few years ago, for instance, I used to observe, in the streets of Asmara , Boys and Girls Scout directing the unruly pedestrians, who were jaywalking the streets without glancing at the incoming vehicles, to use the pedestrian cross walk.
At that time, I remember, the Boys and Girls Scouts of Asmara, with immense talent, calm logic and unflagging persistence, had encouraged and promoted, more than anyone else in the country, the smooth and orderly traffic transition. Through practice and through education for the law, they had significantly impacted on the legal environment of the streets of Asmara and beyond. The result had not only changed the negative habits and practices of walking in the middle of the road throughout the country, it had influenced the philosophy and practice of all disciplines that consider or serve or care for the road safety.
Now that rule is not enforced any more, and the Boys and Girls Scout are not there any more, and the road safety had deteriorated to the worst.
Now you can observe that the pedestrians have become so desensitized to the roaring engines of the vehicles that they do not even pay attention, or totally ignore the loudest honks when they are walking in the middle of the road at leisure. At times it surprises me that he pedestrians, as to prolong their illegal jaywalking, they cross the road, with leisure, diagonally instead of crossing it straight. Thus, endangering their life, and causing havoc for the drivers. Likewise, drivers, particularly taxi drivers, who are required yielding the right of way to pedestrians at crosswalks constantly fail to do so and even to slow down at the crosswalks.
In some countries, law enforcement officers have quota system that they must issue certain amount of tickets per month for traffic offenders. It is observed that in some countries, the entire budget of law enforcement officers is paid from proceeding of these tickets. In the Eritrean case, the revenue generated, from issuing of more tickets to more traffic offenders, could potentially help the department to pay or hire more officers. Thus reducing offenders and violators of traffic
Remember in the natural law tradition that because human beings are selfish and egoistic, they would not obey laws voluntarily unless these laws have a deterrent value. Therefore, enforcing the laws, in the streets of Eritrea , are the essential components of solving the problems.
Therefore, with an even clearer awareness, the Eritrean law enforcement officers should judge it their duty to help the citizens explore this serious problem in all its dimensions, and to impress upon them the need for concerted action at this critical juncture of Eritrean traffic problem.
After all it is the wondrous skills of law enforcement officers’ eyes to see with unique traffic vision the offending drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. It is the law enforcement officers’ eyes that see the offenders and serve the necessary penalty to preserve the rules and commands of the traffic. In so doing, the Eritrean law enforcement officers will enthusiastically disturb the negative practices and habits of the unruly drivers and pedestrians alike.
It is hoped that by enforcing the laws, they will exhilarate and invigorate, and improve our driving practices, and habits .Through this amazing process they will elicit high levels of self expression and confidence, so that we can drive and walk in the beautiful streets of Asmara , with leisure.
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