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Articles Tagged ‘Driving’

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More Killed On World’s Roads Than War Or Disease

Friday, April 27th, 2007

Mirror.co.uk
BLAIR: GREATEST THREAT IS BAD DRIVING
By Bob Roberts, Deputy Political Editor 24/04/2007

BAD driving kills 1.2million people a year and is a bigger danger to the world than war or disease, Tony Blair said yesterday.

A thousand young people around the globe die every day in crashes and only Aids kills more young men. In the UK, 70 children are killed or seriously injured every week.

Oxfam says around a million have died in conflicts since 2001. The Prime Minister teamed up with ex-Formula 1 racing champion Michael Schumacher to call for action on the shocking death toll.

Mr Blair, speaking at the start of the UN global road safety week, said: “Every minute of every day a child is killed or seriously injured on the world’s roads.

“Road crashes are the second leading cause of death for young men after HIV/Aids and in some African countries more than 70 per cent of those killed on the roads are young breadwinners. It is becoming clear that road injury has a serious impact on the wider development goals we’re all trying to achieve.”

Schumacher said: “Road crashes kill on the scale of malaria or tuberculosis.”

Both men called for a UN conference to work out a strategy for cutting road deaths, which could involve British driving instructors being sent to the Third World to improve training.

Bob.Roberts@Mirror.Co.Uk

I’ll let you decide.

Posted in England | No Comments »

International Driving

Sunday, April 22nd, 2007

Don’t know if it’s just Oaxaca or maybe it’s the whole of Mexico. However, my dentist says that drivers in Oaxaca are worse than in Mexico City! But in Xalapa they were ever so polite…big fines meted out if they are not.

But you are taking your life in your hands in Oaxaca. The taxis and buses are the worst…speeding, honoring no lanes…forcing you over. No stop signs, lights, when there are lights and when they are working, are suggestions only. And then there are the “topes” or speed bumps everywhere. Never know when one is coming up unless you watch the cars ahead and hope they slow down…however, one, with drivers from Veracruz, didn’t slow down until they got to the tope. Then they stopped. Bam. Their little car could do it. My big Toyota Land Cruiser couldn’t. So I slammed right into the back of their car. Good thing no one was hurt. Good thing for insurance.

Actually I expected this…but thought I’d get side-swiped by a bus. Now I know why Mexican immigrants in the north get into so much trouble! A couple years ago in my home town in Oregon I was T-boned by an immigrant going through a red light at about 60 miles an hour…she had no insurance. No one has insurance here except the expats.

There are rules here…just not the posted ones. And heaven help you if you don’t obey them! Boils down to buses and taxis and very small cars do what they want…and that includes just about everyone. Except the gringa with the Toyota with a US license plate. Yes, I know I should have put more space between me and car in front. You get conditioned to keep close…cars, buses and taxis will try to edge into even a sliver of space forcing you over. If you leave a lot of room…say a couple car lengths you never get to where you are going because the whole city will move in front of you.

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Thailand is no better. Was rear-ended by a motorcycle there once. Today got an email from Bob who is living in Thailand: “Now if I could only learn to control my mini-rage reactions at Thai drivers,” he says.

“Earlier this week I was driving in a line of autos and a bus tried to pass the whole line of 5-6 cars. He encountered oncoming traffic and cut in front of me–not really in front more like forced me onto the shoulder.

I offered selected auditory and visual feedback. (Had to laugh because the same thing happens here in Mexico!)

But the curious cultural phenomena is that I was the heavy in that I lost my cool. But driving is very unsafe here–most trips (even to the market) produce an anxiety or at least an edge of apprehension. And the Thais cannot park. It is humerous to watch them attempt a parallel park, most often most of the car is left somewhere out on the street. And I have two significant dings being clipped me while I was parked. Oh well…..” 

I think I detect a note of Thai-speak in that syntax.

Posted in Altercations, Experiences, Mexico, Oaxaca, Taxis, Thailand, Transportation | No Comments »

Pushkar India

Sunday, July 21st, 2002
The driver has to ask 5 times for directions to Pushkar (no male pride here). Upon entering the village a guy sitting at a table lets down a red and white pole barrier and asks for a 15 rupee ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Excursions, India, Rajasthan, Worst Experiences | No Comments »

Chittorgarh India

Sunday, July 21st, 2002
On the way out of town the next morning, I am not surprised to see a dead cow that had been hit by a car. "The government will come and pick it up for the hide, (an hopefully not ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Excursions, India, Rajasthan | Comments Off on Chittorgarh India