Egypt detains nearly 50 drivers in response to deadly “Road of Death” crashes

Egypt detains nearly 50 drivers in response to deadly “Road of Death” crashes
Photo: Cairo's Ring Road / Credit: Shutterstock

Egyptian authorities have detained 48 drivers who failed drug tests in a national operation by the Interior Ministry to tackle road safety concerns, according to the National. The arrests follow a string of deadly crashes on Egypt’s Regional Ring Road, nicknamed the “Road of Death.”

The 250-mile highway, which circles Greater Cairo, was designed to ease traffic jams but has gained a reputation for fatal accidents instead.

Last Saturday, a head-on crash between two mini-buses near Menoufia killed nine people and injured 11. Just a week earlier, a speeding truck struck a vehicle carrying teenage girls, killing 19, Daily News Egypt reported.

Egypt recorded 5,260 traffic deaths and over 76,000 injuries in 2024, a 7.5% rise from the previous year, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Critics say the government has neglected basic safety measures, pointing to poor lighting, missing barriers, and unclear signs near Menoufia. Badly managed roadworks have also been blamed for forcing two-way traffic into single lanes along large stretches.

Amid public anger, officials said they would close part of the road for a week starting Tuesday to study ways to improve safety, Egypt Independent reported.

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