With the advent of the holiday season and increased traffic on Lebanese roads, traffic hazards are significantly exacerbated. The past few days have witnessed a series of horrific accidents that nearly caused devastating human losses. Among these accidents, a serious accident occurred involving the collision of four cars on the Souk al-Ahad road towards Al-Sayyad, after a “BMW” car veered off its course and collided with three cars traveling in the opposite direction, resulting in significant material damage and nearly leading to a disaster.
In this context, Ziad Akl, the founder of the YASA association, explained in a statement to , that “the influx of large numbers of visitors to the country during this period and the increased movement during the holiday season leads to noticeable chaos on the roads, despite the great efforts made by the Internal Security Forces and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, but the need still exists to raise the level of traffic awareness among drivers, because the density of traffic is often associated with an increase in the number of accidents and problems on the roads.”
Stormy weather doubles the risks:
Akl warned that “the increasing movement, especially in conjunction with stormy weather conditions, doubles the risks and increases accidents.” He added that the YASA association has published a set of tips for driving in winter, including reducing speed, maintaining a safe distance between cars, ensuring the safety of tires and brakes, and avoiding driving under the influence of fatigue or in bad weather conditions.
New Year’s Eve under traffic scrutiny:
Akl continued: “We hope that the holiday period, especially New Year’s Eve, will pass without recording traffic disasters, especially since the high traffic during holidays and tourist seasons is directly linked to the increase in the number of accidents and victims.”
A call for commitment to avoid repeating bloody scenarios:
He added: “We ask everyone to adhere to the guidelines to ensure safety, and that this period, which witnesses additional movement, does not turn into a phase similar to the period of July and August, which unfortunately witnessed a significant increase in the number of victims of traffic accidents on Lebanese roads.”
Akl emphasized that “the increase in accidents in Lebanon is linked to several factors, most notably speeding, dangerous overtaking, non-compliance with traffic signals, and unprepared roads, especially during rain and bad weather conditions. Therefore, raising the level of traffic awareness among drivers, improving the road infrastructure, and tightening control over violations are an essential step to reduce these increasing accidents.”
