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Title – Belgians die in Egypt coach crash
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 31st October 2008
It was only a month ago I was writing about the kidnapping of tourists in southern Egypt (Sahara tourists are held captive after being seized by ‘band of gangsters’) and warning that while in that case it was an unusual and unpredictable occurrence, there were other quite serious risks that travellers to Egypt should be aware of. We highlighted the dangers on the roads in Egypt and their poor record on road safety.
Sadly I now find myself commenting on another tragic road accident, this time involving a bus of Belgian tourist and resulting in the death of 6 and the serious injury to another 26.
A combination of poor road conditions, poor driving standards, the long distances involved and drivers being pressured to drive through rather than take regular breaks, is a lethal combination. I am not suggesting fault in this particular case, because at the time of writing the investigation seems to be on-going. The problem is with many of the roads being two lane highways and long stretches of flat straight road, it is not just your driver who can place you in danger, there is a very real threat of oncoming vehicles being out of control, the driver not concentrating or (as seems to be the case in many of these accidents) being overtired or asleep.
However as always we must emphasise that millions of tourist visit Egypt without incident.
Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop (GYITSA) provides information on Transport Options and the importance of asking the right questions before you choose the best means of travel. We are never in complete control of all the risks we face, but by reducing those we can control we can make travel significantly safer.
Throughout our workshops we examine a number of subjects that will reduce the risks you face on your travels, these include; Travel Health, Travel Safety, Destination Advice and specific advice for Women Travellers.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 31st October 2008
It was only a month ago I was writing about the kidnapping of tourists in southern Egypt (Sahara tourists are held captive after being seized by ‘band of gangsters’) and warning that while in that case it was an unusual and unpredictable occurrence, there were other quite serious risks that travellers to Egypt should be aware of. We highlighted the dangers on the roads in Egypt and their poor record on road safety.
Sadly I now find myself commenting on another tragic road accident, this time involving a bus of Belgian tourist and resulting in the death of 6 and the serious injury to another 26.
A combination of poor road conditions, poor driving standards, the long distances involved and drivers being pressured to drive through rather than take regular breaks, is a lethal combination. I am not suggesting fault in this particular case, because at the time of writing the investigation seems to be on-going. The problem is with many of the roads being two lane highways and long stretches of flat straight road, it is not just your driver who can place you in danger, there is a very real threat of oncoming vehicles being out of control, the driver not concentrating or (as seems to be the case in many of these accidents) being overtired or asleep.
However as always we must emphasise that millions of tourist visit Egypt without incident.
Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop (GYITSA) provides information on Transport Options and the importance of asking the right questions before you choose the best means of travel. We are never in complete control of all the risks we face, but by reducing those we can control we can make travel significantly safer.
Throughout our workshops we examine a number of subjects that will reduce the risks you face on your travels, these include; Travel Health, Travel Safety, Destination Advice and specific advice for Women Travellers.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
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