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The Top 10 Most Dangerous Countries to Drive

Traffic is a major hazard to public health. While many countries have been able to bring the fatality rates and injuries caused by road accidents to lower levels by promoting traffic safety measures and effectively implementing policies, other regions, especially in Africa and Asia, still struggle to get a grip to the problem.

With data provided by the World Heath Organization, we established a list of the ten most dangerous countries in terms of traffic. Notably, it is the regions shattered by poverty and political turmoil that figure high on this list:

10. Iran

While the Iranian vice squads are strictly supervising the adherence to public moral standards, the government authorities seem to have no time left to enforcing traffic rules. Otherwise, the 35.5 fatalities per 100.000 inhabitants and 204.6 fatalities per 100.000 vehicles are difficult to explain.

9. The Gambia

The smallest country of continental Africa counts one of the world's highest death rates on its streets. 36.6 deaths per 100.000 inhabitants and 5.228.6 fatalities per 100.000 vehicles are significant when looking at a population of just 1.7 million. Just around 250.000 motorized vehicles circulate on the country's streets but they seem to be alarmingly efficient in causing even more distress to an already poverty-ridden population.

8. United Arab Emirates

To see the United Arab Emirates rank so high on this infamous list is somewhat surprising to us. 37.1 deaths per 100.000 inhabitants and 118.5 fatalities per 100.000 vehicles raise eyebrows but might be explained by the dangerous roads that stretch across the Arabian desert. The rich Emiratis' way of solving that, is by taking the private plane instead of the Bugatti Veyron. Just those who can not afford it have to bite the dust.

7. Angola

A developing nation on the rise but still with a lot to catch up on when it comes to road safety. Angola counts about 37.7 fatalities per 100.000 inhabitants and 957.4 per 100.000 vehicles. To blame for this is mainly the war that raged until the early 21st century and left large parts of the road network destroyed and potholed with landmines littered along the roadside. So, to drive safely here, don't lose the track!

6. Niger

80 percent of Niger is covered by the Sahara desert. That said, it is not hard to think up the reason why on average annually 37.7 people die in road traffic per 100.000 inhabitants and 9.425 per 100.000 vehicles. Outside the cities, there are few paved roads that could make crossing West Africa's largest country from one side to the other a little bit safer. In case you still want to try it, make sure you have enough water on board.

5. Iraq

Iraq is a hostile place for road users. 38.1 deaths per 100.000 inhabitants and 762 fatalities per 100.000 vehicles annually were reported by the WHO. About the reasons we can only speculate but a combination of unfortunate coincidences such as a vast desert landscape, an infrastructure pulverized by war and an insurgency with a gusto for car bombs seem probable to play their part in this.

4. Afghanistan

Looking at the numbers from Afghanistan, we are left wondering if the Taliban insurgents are deserving all the attention they get. In 2011 their attacks cost about 3000 civilian lives while traffic was responsible for 39.0 fatalities per 100.000 inhabitants and 1,447.9 fatalities per 100.000 vehicles. With a population of almost 30 million make the math and tell us, who is the true villain in this scenario?

3. Libya

The WHO reports 40.5 fatalities per 100.000 inhabitants and 139.2 deaths per 100.000 road vehicles from Libya. The reason for this misery is the neglect of the public infrastructure during Gaddafi's reign. As we all know, he preferred to invest in luxurious furniture for his palace, instead of investing in decent roads. Things are so bad, the current transitional government estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild the country's streets.

2. Cook Islands

The fact that the Cook Islands, Oceania paradise, are figuring so high on this list is slightly confusing. May be the dwarf-nation simply fails to fulfill the requirements for a valid data sample as it only has about 10.000 residents? The WHO counts 45.0 fatalities per 100.000 inhabitants here. So, did they just multiply the 4.5 casualties per 10.000 inhabitants by 10 to come up with this? Sounds like a very wild guess.

1. Eritrea

Eritrea tops this sad list with 48.4 casualties per 100.000 inhabitants and 4.400 deaths per 100.000 cars. Being such a poor country with certainly relatively little cars on the streets, owning one or simply crossing a road as pedestrian means running a significant health risk. We can only hope that the Eritreans keep themselves safe until their government fixes the roads, puts up some street signs and alongside some officers to enforce them.