CAIRO/BEIRUT: Lebanon and Egypt may be two of the Arab world’s most contrasting countries, but there is one unenviable trait they do share — a reputation for bad driving.
Any visitor to either nation will return with tales of terror on the roads, from the horrifying swerving through Beirut’s traffic-jammed streets to the gut-wrenching overtaking on the highways of Cairo.
Arab News set out to try and answer the question of which country has the worst drivers.
Our Lebanese and Egyptian reporters have detailed the daily horrors of getting behind the wheel in their home countries, with an analysis of the death and accident rates, to try and find the answer.
The huge differences between the two countries did not make it easy. Egypt, of course, is far bigger with far more vehicles and a vast road network; Lebanon has fewer cars but a higher rate of vehicle ownership per head of population.
For Lebanon, the figures make grim reading. You are four times more likely to be in a road accident in Lebanon than in Egypt, according to official accident rates for 2016. Deaths in road accidents were also higher with 7.94 per 100,000 people compared to 5.58 in Egypt.
While there may be questions about how the figures from each country are compiled, they do point to a similar set of problems that may be the cause of the shared disregard of driving etiquette in the two countries.
In both cases, safety experts blame the governments for a lack of infrastructure investment or clear policy on how to improve the situation.
In Lebanon, blame for the culture of bad driving is also placed upon the country’s chaotic and difficult history. In Egypt, the economic difficulties and lack of planning are also to blame.
The positive news is that the number of accidents and deaths does appear to be declining.
As the two countries face financial and political turmoil and with improvements to roads still a long way to go, Lebanese people to this day still wonder why they drive in the chaotic way they do while Egyptians must accept living through daily nightmares on notorious Cairo roads.
Lebanon vs. Egypt: Who are the worst drivers of them all?
Lebanon vs. Egypt: Who are the worst drivers of them all?
Israel detains Al-Aqsa imam as PA warns of escalation during Ramadan
- Israeli authorities have prohibited 250 people from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque since January
- Knesset member Amit Halevi called for Jewish prayers at the site during Ramadan
LONDON: Israeli authorities detained Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abbasi, the imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, from within the mosque’s courtyards as 222 settlers stormed the site on Monday.
The Palestinian Authority warned of an Israeli escalation at the Al-Aqsa compound in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem, ahead of and during the fasting month of Ramadan, which starts this week.
The Jerusalem Governorate reported that Israeli authorities have prohibited 250 people from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque since January. This week, they prevented the Jerusalem Endowments Council from preparing for Ramadan by blocking the installation of umbrellas for sun and rain protection, and the setup of temporary clinics, according to Wafa news agency.
The governorate also condemned the visit of Israeli Knesset member Amit Halevi to Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday, accompanied by Israeli police. It said that Halevi’s incursion was part of a provocative tour with the “Temple Mount Administration,” amid rising Israeli calls to change the reality at Al-Aqsa Mosque and alter the historic status quo.
Halevi advocated continuing what he described as “Jewish prayers” at the site during the month of Ramadan, Wafa added.
The governorate also reported that Israeli forces issued a six-month ban on freed prisoner and Al-Aqsa Mosque guard Fadi Alyan from entering the mosque.
