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.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
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As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jawan
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on Quran memorisation:
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
