Road Accident.

Driving in Albania can be crazy most of the time...
...and I mean CRAZY!

I don't understand the reason why...
Is it people thinking there is no state, so they drive anyway they want to?
Is it people driving who don't have enough experience?
Is it young people who are too immature to be driving fast cars?
is it people driving after drinking?
Is it just driving too fast?

The number of deaths in road accidents has quadrupled(x4) in the last 5 years.
From January-July 2007 there were 200 deaths on the road - more than one per day.

Unfortunately, many drive so badly, that it is the other drivers that suffer from their bad driving as they have to swerve and avoid them.

There is one thing for sure - there are far too many accidents on the roads!

Yesterday, i was with my wife making our way back to Shkoder from Tirana.
I was directly behind a large bus, and we were crossing a bridge. I must have been driving about 80km/h and I reckon the bus was doing the same speed.

Towards us there was a long line of traffic and I saw I could not pass the bus.
Just then, a white mercedes pulled out of the oncoming traffic and directly in front of the bus. The bus driver had little time to react, and they collided. The car was crushed under the front of the bus.
One woman was killed, and there were 3 other passengers injured as well as 2 small children.

I have no idea why he/she pulled out....but being directly behind the bus, we saw the whole thing.

The Police took ages to come, and the ambulance longer. Most of the victims were already taken away by other drivers to get aid at the nearest hospital.

My thoughts are with the family of the woman who died, and those that are injured.
But also for the bus driver who had nothing that he could have done to avoid the accident.

I am also thankful to God for his care over us yesterday and also for the many times we have travelled on difficult roads.