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 now compulsory to wear a seat belt and 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. Failure to wear a seat belt can
lead to a fine. 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.
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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A-Z of Travel Travel
Advice Safety Driving
Licence Living in Gambia
