A Problem Too Costly To Fix…And Too Costly Not To
Following my traffic prediction a few days ago, this recent The Jordan Times article comes as no surprise:
Icy and slippery roads as well as tailgating caused 120 traffic accidents yesterday between 6:00am and 10:30am, a Public Security Department official said on Sunday.
“The reasons behind these accidents were mainly attributed to improper use of lane, tailgating as well as icy roads,” said Acting Director of Public Security Department’s Central Traffic Colonel Daoud Hakoz.
He stressed that these accidents could have been avoided if citizens had followed safety instructions in such weather conditions.
Meanwhile, PSD Spokesperson Major Mohammad Khatib said citizens’ abidance by the rules and regulations is the answer to road accidents.
“Despite all traffic awareness programmes implemented by all concerned parties, the number of accidents is on the rise,” Khatib said.
He stressed that Jordan should follow the example of other countries that succeeded in tackling the rising number of road accidents by imposing stiffer penalties on violators.
The Lower House recently rejected a temporary Traffic Law, citing financial penalties that are too high.
Apparently the cost to create greater traffic order and safety in Jordan is far too steep for the government. No wonder things are worsening.
Source: The Jordan Times, February 4, 2008
hatem abunimeh February 4th, 2008 7:00 pm
Sometimes ago I read an article about the traffic conditions in Jordan but I don’t remember the name of the author, any way, what the article suggested was that the underlying offensive driving habits in Jordan are nothing but a silent form of protest against the government for all of the wrong things that are happening in the country such as unemployment, poverty, price increase, and so on and so forth. I wonder if there is any truth to that line of thinking, if there is then I don’t expect the nasty driving habits to change any time soon.
publicfacing February 4th, 2008 8:25 pm
I hate the Government, so I’m going … to injure myself! No, wait, I can do better than that, I’ll drive foolishly when I have my children in the car and injure them too!
Hold on, what was I thinking … I’ll just do something really, really stupid and KILL my children, my wife and myself.
Boy oh boy, that’ll show the Government I mean business!
The idea that driving poorly is some kind of perverse retribution against the Government is lunacy.
I’m all for far, far stiffer penalties. Custodial and financial.
Driving in Jordan is a joke, when you arrive in the country and hit Amman for the first time, your first impression is that these are a bunch of complete and utter morons.
Investing / working / living in Jordan then becomes decidedly less appealing.
Um Omar February 5th, 2008 8:19 am
Can I PLEASE be a traffic cop?! Can I have a baton, too? PLEASE!
Dave February 5th, 2008 11:53 am
It would be cheap and easy for traffic police to be outfitted with simple video camera and for them to be placed at each major traffic circle to catch all of the idiots who fly into the circle without stopping. The municipality would make thousands of dinar each day on violations and the people would learn pretty quickly that you’re supposed to come to a complete stop when entering a traffic circle.
Ali February 7th, 2008 4:30 pm
Don’t get me started now with the state of roads in jordan and the way people behave on the roads! It’s true that we need to blame ourselves for all these horrble accidents in Jordan killing more than 800 people just last year! But what about the government and it’s reponsibility to maintain good structure of roads, lighting, etc….. both are to be blamed
coffeegirl February 7th, 2008 8:45 pm
I am long time resident here and from my observation year after year I would say that “…good roads, lighting,etc…” are the tip of the iceberg. What Jordan really needs is law inforcement and there is almost none considering traffic laws. Yes, from time to time speeding tickets are issued and….that’s it. And if you are from so and so family, clan, tribe, most often than not you won’t pay a penny. How about for a change not only to pay attention to speeding but to all traffic laws that are supposed to be followed and respected? Jordan needs well trained and plenty invested into traffic police. As usual, there is not enough money for that, blah-blah-blah…We have an underpaid marginalized traffic police officers to uphold the law in environment that demands from them to be “Figaro here, Figaro there, Figaro up, Figaro down.” The result is we reap what we sow.