Road deaths in Tunisia have increased by more than 30 per cent in the first few month of this year compared to the same period last year, National Observatory for Traffic Safety data shows.
As of April 20, a total of 317 people were reported dead and 1,987 injured, the observatory’s spokesman Mourad Jouini told Mosaïque radio on Monday.
Mr Jouini noted that despite the lower number of accidents compared to last year, there had been a remarkable increase in deaths.
The most common causes for accidents were speeding, not conforming to traffic signs and drink-driving.
But motorists have also complained that improvements to basic infrastructure are necessary to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles on the roads.
One driver, Mayssa Zitouni, 25, told The National: “The roads cannot accommodate us any more, the number of cars is increasing and people start breaking the law just to get away from traffic whenever they're stuck.
“We lack basic street signs, traffic lights sometimes don’t function and some roads don’t even have clear designated lanes and you just find yourself lost out there."
The latest data indicates the majority of the accidents take place in Tunis, which is the most densely populated region, followed by Nabeul, Gafsa and Mahdia governorates.
“It’s truly a forest out there, if you already know the road you’re good, if you don’t, you’ll face lots of surprises,” Ms Zitouni said.
She also believes that women face more challenges on the road in Tunisia due inherent sexism.
“People feel like they are in some sort of competition … I was driving once and a guy with a bigger vehicle overtook my car and intentionally kept driving slowly to hinder me … I do not see that happening whenever my father is driving, for instance,” she said.
Ms Zitouni said such behaviour puts everyone in danger and pushes even the most peaceful person to act in a similar way merely to survive on the way back home.
“Combining all these elements [drivers’ behaviour and road conditions] together gives us a dangerous combo that could explain the situation,” she said.
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Three out of five stars
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The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
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Engine: 4.0-litre V8
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
