Final Word from Tuesday, September 5, 2006
It's great news that the number of deaths on Czech roads dropped y/y by 35% in July-Aug., to 144. Some drivers have slowed down due to the new point system. Police President Vladislav Husák says that Czech roads and car technology are getting so good that the speed limit in some places could be raised from 130 kph to 160-170. New cars are undoubtedly getting safer, but Husák has apparently forgotten that 14 years is still the average car age in the CR. His argument about safer roads also falters. Road building isn't keeping up with the explosion in car ownership. One reason is the corruption in the tender process. If road builders are getting fat margins, and highway and ministry officials are getting a cut, there's less money for building safe roads. It's only a guess, but wiping out corruption in the road-building process might reduce traffic fatalities by another 10% or so.[Czech Repubilc km/h construction driving]