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Title – Lorry kills Africa gap year student
Source – Metro
Date – 17th November 2008
It’s always very sad to read stories like this one about Claire; our thoughts are always with her family who have to deal with the loss of a person who was clearly gifted, had a zest for life and a passion for exploration and travel. When accidents happen so far away from home it adds a sense of helplessness that exasperates the tragedy still further.
This is a terrible accident, it could have happened 5 miles from her home or 5000 miles away in Africa. The only difference being that generally speaking regulation is stricter in the UK with regard to driving standards, enforcement and the maintenance of vehicles on the road; so in that sense roads in ‘developing’ countries are by their nature are more dangerous.
I would not suggest that there was much that could have been done differently which would have changed the tragic outcome of this situation, but it can serve as a warning to others. It can act as the starkest reminder that additional care is required on the roads, crossing the roads and even standing at the side of the road, in some parts of the world.
It was only a few weeks ago we were discussing the tragic bus accident in Egypt. In the UK we don’t hear about the many tragedies on the roads in other parts of the world, but look at the statistics and it is clear that people should take much greater care and attention when we are far away from home and we need to appreciate that the rules we apply at home often don’t apply abroad. Many parts of the world the differences are far more profound than just driving on the other side of the road.
At Beyond The Blue (safe gap year) we run Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops (GYITSA) designed to provide anyone planning a Gap Year or Career Break to travel more safely and with heightened awareness of the risks faced in other parts of the world. We cover issues of personal safety, Transport Options, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Safety and much more. There are some tragic accidents where nothing would alter the outcome; but for many of the problems faced by travellers, understanding the potential risks allows us to reduce them, without affecting the enjoyment travel offers us.
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 – Metro
Date – 17th November 2008
It’s always very sad to read stories like this one about Claire; our thoughts are always with her family who have to deal with the loss of a person who was clearly gifted, had a zest for life and a passion for exploration and travel. When accidents happen so far away from home it adds a sense of helplessness that exasperates the tragedy still further.
This is a terrible accident, it could have happened 5 miles from her home or 5000 miles away in Africa. The only difference being that generally speaking regulation is stricter in the UK with regard to driving standards, enforcement and the maintenance of vehicles on the road; so in that sense roads in ‘developing’ countries are by their nature are more dangerous.
I would not suggest that there was much that could have been done differently which would have changed the tragic outcome of this situation, but it can serve as a warning to others. It can act as the starkest reminder that additional care is required on the roads, crossing the roads and even standing at the side of the road, in some parts of the world.
It was only a few weeks ago we were discussing the tragic bus accident in Egypt. In the UK we don’t hear about the many tragedies on the roads in other parts of the world, but look at the statistics and it is clear that people should take much greater care and attention when we are far away from home and we need to appreciate that the rules we apply at home often don’t apply abroad. Many parts of the world the differences are far more profound than just driving on the other side of the road.
At Beyond The Blue (safe gap year) we run Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops (GYITSA) designed to provide anyone planning a Gap Year or Career Break to travel more safely and with heightened awareness of the risks faced in other parts of the world. We cover issues of personal safety, Transport Options, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Safety and much more. There are some tragic accidents where nothing would alter the outcome; but for many of the problems faced by travellers, understanding the potential risks allows us to reduce them, without affecting the enjoyment travel offers us.
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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