Road safety, an alarming assessment

The roads in the Maghreb are hazardous. The toll drawn up by the Maghreb countries is alarming. For the year 2007, the number of deaths per million inhabitants reached 119 in Algeria and 150 in Tunisia. Libya comes out first with 375 deaths per million inhabitants.

In 2008, in Morocco, road accidents have increased by 10% in comparison with 2007. The number of victims has reported a significant rise: 11.69% for the dead and 19% for the injured. During the first nine months of 2008, the Algerian roads have claimed the lives of 2871 people and injured 31212.

FIn light of the rising toll of victims, the authorities decided to react. In Algeria prison sentences up to 4 years and the establishment of special tribunals are recommended. In Morocco, the institution of the driving license's demerit points and the entry into force of automatic radars are being negotiated by the government and trade unions. As far as the government is concerned, the review of the Highway Code remains a priority for governments.