Book launch: Highway insecurity in Cameroon: Who gets the blame??

Insécurité Routière au Cameroun: à qui la faut? Literally translated as, “Highway insecurity in Cameroon: Who gets the blame?” is the title on a book that analyses the causes of highway accidents and attributes responsibilities to different stakeholders.

The 168 page book written in eight chapters outlines the root causes of accidents and gives practical tips to road users of different categories.

The author, Gerard Ekani Ekani, drew inspiration from his long years of experience in the road sector as a legal expert and consultant in highway in security, driving school administrator and member of several associations including the National League against Highway Insecurity and the Protection of the Rights of Victims where he is President and the Cameroon Road Safety Network where he is the focal point .

He begins by decrying the non-respect of norms in the issuance of driving permits which to him is at the origin of a majority of road accidents on the highways.

He regretted the fact that some corrupt transport officials issue driving licenses to persons who are neither trained nor qualified to sit behind a driving wheel or read road signs.

Gerard Ekani Ekani also called for a national road policy in the country that will coordinate all measures taken to improve road safety and make it more efficient.

Although he denounced the poor state of roads, the author however noted that the road does not kill but that it is the irresponsibility of road users that cause casualties.