This morning on 22 December, an UNMIL Indian FPU Officer was killed after being hit by a local taxi driver who lost control of his vehicle whilst travelling on Tubman BLVD in Monrovia. The Officer was part of a police foot patrol in the community. The majority of movement conducted by UN personnel is via UN vehicle or UN aircraft. However, UN personnel are at times pedestrians. “*Driving Cultures*” vary with each country; and in Liberia, fatal pedestrian and vehicle accidents are not uncommon with limited marked pedestrian crossing areas and the overall lack of speed limit signs to warn drivers of heavy pedestrian areas near schools, hospitals or stadiums. In addition with the renovation work on Tubman BLVD and lack of speed enforcement policing, drivers tend to drive at excessive speeds along this improved route. Whilst walking, jogging or even crossing Tubman BLVD into UNMIL Headquarters building, staff members are reminded to take extra care and to remain vigilant to traffic.

I often go on a jogging around the streets in my neighborhood and this events really scares me indeed. For most of us, staffs working in peacekeeping missions, it is important that at all time driving safety is exercised, anytime anywhere.

During the time of my early days in the mission, back in 2005 whereby cars are rarely seen on the streets other than NGO’s and UNMIL’s, driving around Monrovia has been challenging, with many steet pot-holes in various sizes, cars manueuvers to avoid them, especially during night and rainy days – driving experience can be really stressful.

Most of the yellow taxis are shared-taxis, where one can be crammed inside with 3-4 passengers at the back, and 2 passenger on the front passengger seat, while minibuses are taking between 14-16 people stacked like pack of sardines, with half side or none at all of indicator and break light functioning. Not to mention some drivers of those local taxis are manuevering right-to-left without indicating.

Often times this overloading causes cars to breakdown and left sitting in the middle of the road blocking the flow of traffic.

If you think that you’re a good driver back home, it would need an extra more careful and vigilance when driving here in Monrovia. Hope the tips below can be useful for us and for those of you whom taking up mission assignment in Liberia or other similar post-conflict areas in Africa.

Apart from the local driving culture, there are also some numbers of UNMIL Staffs were suspended and got their driving permit revoked due to traffic violations/incidents coliding with other local cars and some were for speeding.

The below are some tips I’d like to share with you to remain in safety, either as drivers or as pedestrian;

SAFETY TIPS:
1. Walk on sidewalks. If sidewalks are not available or occupied by vendors, walk on the edge of the road or on the shoulder of the road, facing the traffic flow.

2. See and Be Seen. Drivers need to see you to avoid you. Stay out of the driver’s blind spot. Make eye contact with drivers when crossing busy streets. Wear bright colors or reflective clothing. Carry a flashlight. In bad weather, take care that your umbrella or raincoat does not prevent you (pedestrian) from seeing approaching vehicles.

As time goes by and more and more cards are jamming the streets now, traffic jams are like everyday menu during the rush hours, and cars will further share the space with zig-zagging motorbikes that people used as “Mototaxi” buzzing on the space gaps between cars, with 2 or often 3 riders on each motorbike and no helmets worn. It’s really dangerous.

I consider myself very lucky to have “survived” a car crash here. What actually saved me was the fact that I needed to buy something from a local shop. I parked the vehicle properly on the street, locked the doors and crossed the street to enter a convenience store. A few minutes after, I heard something I cannot even describe right now. A local driver has slammed with full force on the side of the car. This is the result. Again, luckily there was no loss of lives, just physical injuries.

Have you ever had a stressfull driving experience while driving in countries while visiting Africa? Tell me your stories..