There is a serious road safety problem that has made Addis Ababa the most dangerous city in the world. What is it? The roads? The vehicles …or is it our notorious drivers?

What is your opinion on Addis Ababa drivers ?

Addis drivers are a bunch of crazy, irresponsible public enemies that recklessly endanger our safety. I have lost a loved one recently to a drunk driver. This must stop!
Khaled, Student

We can’t be too careful in these times. Driving is inherently a dangerous activity that can only be made less risky by following rules and regulations. There must be a national traffic safety awareness campaign to make drivers, passengers and pedestrians more responsible.
Hiwot, Teacher
The worst offenders in Addis Ababa and therefore the world, are mini-bus taxi drivers who think they are above the law. It is terrifying to see them drive at 60 Km/h through a packed street with a 25 year old vehicle which belongs in a museum.
Tadesse, student

Drivers are not regulated properly. The traffic Police don’t seem to really care except when its Traffic Awareness week.
Mike

It is possible to get a driver’s license without ever leaving the comfort of your home. As long as corrupt officials exist, our streets will never be safe.
Azeb, Teller

Driving us Crazy …!

Tokyo, Japan is the largest urban concentration in the world with over 35 million inhabitants. Mexico City, New York, Delhi and Africa’s Cairo are other mega cities each with populations of over 10 million. These cites accommodate millions of cars on their streets and are notorious for traffic congestion.
Addis Ababa is a medium sized city and has perhaps 4 million residents in the metropolitan area and satellite neighborhoods. The capital like Ethiopia itself, has the fewest vehicles of any city of its size.
Currently, there are all of 130,000 vehicles of all types in Ethiopia with over 35% of them in Addis. Vehicular density is low but unfortunately, drivers’ mental dexterity is lower….
Addis Ababa is the most dangerous city for road accidents. Bad driving is the major factor but there are many other reasons for why Ethiopia holds the world’s worst traffic safety record.
The majority of vehicles are on average at least 15 years old and routinely in disrepair. Hardly roadworthy, these dilapidated, Gulf cast–off, fourth or fifth hand vehicles would not pass the most lax M.O.T check anywhere else.
There are many amazing and real anecdotes that involve the sparring skills of the P.M in various settings. I’m not sure about the authenticity of this one but Draft house talk has it that some M.P or other raised the question of banning obsolete cars from the streets, at which quipped Meles “…but that would mean all of you wouldn’t drive to parliament!”
Quite apart from dodgy vehicles way past retirement age is the public’s near total disregard for the simplest traffic and safety regulations. In Ethiopia, drivers and passengers co-operate to break the rules. The road safety disaster in our country is multi-dimensional and not something that should be blamed on just drivers. As far as the typical Ethiopian driver goes, it’s a miracle that most of us return home.
Foreigners lament driving in Ethiopia. Many simply don’t drive at all. They can’t understand a system that allows citizens to break every directive in the book. Drink driving? ……….go ahead. It makes no difference. People here drive like they are always drunk. Have a safe day and mind those zebra crossings.