Fasten seatbelts and no please!

22.12.2009 // Starting from December 21st, driving without a seatbelt, speaking on mobile phone while driving and crossing the street outside of the zebra crossing have become offences punishable by fine in Addis Abeba. A relief for the pedestrians in some respects, but attitudes still need to change, in a city where “cars are more afraid of people than people are afraid of cars”.

-In my 18 years as a professional driver, I have always used a seatbelt. I believe the traffic has become worse throughout that time, because there are more cars now, and better roads that make people able to drive faster. So this legislation is timely, says Tigistu Kebede, driver at the Norwegian Embassy.

Staring from Monday the 21st, taxi drivers have been seen buckling up in Addis, eager to avoid being fined. According to local newspapers, there has been a high demand for safety belts and “handsfree” mobile accessories, even though use of mobiles is strictly prohibited according to the new legislation. Children under seven years of age will no longer be allowed to sit in the front-seat.

But the law also puts demands on pedestrians, they will be fined for “jay-walking” outside of the zebra crossings, and crossing over ring-road barriers and railings. Hopefully this might change numerous attempts to compete with cars in terms of crossing the road at all speed by foot, often a suicidal habit both in Ethiopian urban and rural areas. “As a driver, I am more afraid of the pedestrians than they are of my car”, Tigistu explains as the attitude behind this jay-walking.

Tigray and Oromia Regional states have already had strict traffic regulations for some time.

At a conference in Addis Abeba this year, Director of the Addis Continental Institute of Public Health Professor Yimane Birhan, said the road traffic accidents are among the top ten causes of death in Ethiopia. Commander Akillu Seife from the Federal Police, presenting a paper on the occasion, said about 85,842 traffic accidents have been recorded in the period from 2004-2008. Over 2,800 people died while about 8,696 suffered permanent injuries, he added.According to Commander Aklilu, 85% of the traffic accidents that occurred in the country in the five year-period happened on new asphalt roads. And Addis Ababa, with the highest traffic flow, claimed the lion's share of these accidents.Some 68 per cent of the accidents occurred in urban areas while rural areas claim about 19 per cent of it.

Source: Tormod Nuland | Share on your network |

Fasten seatbelts and no please!

Royal Norwegian Embassy in Addis Ababa