This is a post I started a while back, but did not post
Well, I haven't ranted in a while.
I was reading an article on the MOI website (Ministry of Interior) the other day and the topic was the "high number of accidents that happen on the highways..". Always pointing the guilty finger at someone else, the article went on to state that the high volume of truck traffic and the lack of safety standards for trucks was the main cause of many accidents. I agree with that 100%. I have seen trucks on the highway here that look as if they were taken from a scrap yard and put on the highway. But not mentioned was the fact that many drivers drive excessively fast. The typical posted speed on the main roads is 120 kph ( about 75 mph ) but let me tell you that is not the average speed. Trucks do between 60 and 100 kph, then you have the drivers who are too timid to do 120 so they get into the middle lane and do 80 kph. the inside left lane (most roads are 3 lanes) is the free for all. That's where you have to go with the flow of usually 140 - 150 kph or faster since the middle and far right lanes are so much slower.
Occasionally you will get a driver that will get right on your back bumper and flash his lights. You have two options at that point, speed up to find a hole to jump into or slow down and get behind a slow moving car or truck in the middle lane. It's just ridiculous!
I have seen drivers driving in excess of 150 kph go from the inside left lane across all lanes of traffic to make an exit, in less than 50 meters, with no turn signals and an obvious disregard for life or limb. So trucks are not the entire problem. It's the IDIOT car drivers that cause trucks that are in poor mechanical condition with truck drivers that have little experience or common sense, that cause most accidents.
Now you may ask, " Where is any police enforcement?".
HA! Police enforcement here is non existent. I have actually seen a police car stopped at a red light and have seen 2 - to 3 vehicles run the red lights and the policeman does nothing. I think they are afraid to do anything. Possible lack of training is a reason or possibly a fear that they may encounter a relative.
Another thing that gets me is that many locals WILL NOT use head lights even at night, and certainly not during bad weather. During some of the frequent sand storms where visibility is a few meters at best , there are people driving as if it were a clear day, with no headlights on, driving extremely fast and as always, darting in and out of traffic.
The Kuwait Times reports every day, articles about unsafe driving and the accident reports, the numbers of dead and injured and how people need to drive more safely, but it seems that it only falls on deaf ears.
After reading the article from MOI, they concluded that the only way to solve the problem was for motorist to drive more safely. . (and putting the fox in charge of the hen house will make the chickens more safe also.)
END OF RANT..
Ma'assalama - Have a GREAT DAY and remember to drive safely.
