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. |
