Traffic Rules:
 In Gambia they drive on the right hand side of the road and the
speed
limits on the major highways is 70km per hour and comes down to
25 km per hour in residential areas, a school zone or near a hospital
/ health centre. However, many drivers ignore speed limits
particularly along the Bertil Harding Highway leading to Senegambia
area with Saturday nights being the worst day for accidents there due
to drunk drivers who care little about road safety. Some of the laws
regulating transport can be found under the Motor Traffic Ordinance of
1948. Also be careful about coming up too close to taxis on
Kairaba Avenue as they are liable to
suddenly stop when they see a potential client.
Police Check-Points:
Never go past a police road stop without standing still as this is an
offence and always be ready to show your insurance and driving licence. This
will save you a lot of time trying to explain what the regulations are
as in reality your time will be unnecessarily wasted while they wait
for an 'on-the-spot' fine 'voluntarily' given by you in order for your
vehicle to be released. To also avoid the above fate you must make
sure all your lights, breaks and windscreen wipers are in good working
order.
Dangerous Driving:
It is an offence to drive while drunk and you may find yourself issued
a court summons and punished with a fine and / or
imprisonment. Reckless and bad drivers are also subject to the same
punishable fines and / or incarceration by law.
Seat Belts:
It is not compulsory t
wear a seat belt however, you are strongly advised to wear one as the
standard of driving in the country is atrociously bad and many people don't
respect let alone understand traffic regulations and signs. It is
common to see people driving on the wrong side of the road in order to
make a short cut.
Pedestrian Side Driving!:
It is an offence to
drive on the side of the road that is reserved for pedestrians. This
might seem obvious but you will see no end of taxi drivers and
impatient people using this strip on the manor highways to bypass a
traffic jam or to escape the attention of the police due to expired
motor documents.
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Gambian Traffic Signs:
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Final Word on Road Safety: |
| Never assume anything about the
intentions of other drivers and drive with great caution
as well as look all around you. Apart from cars he other
hazards include animals roaming onto the roads, reckless
pedestrians, other cars swerving to avoid pot-holes. |
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