Hardly a day goes by in Egypt without news headlines or social media platforms reporting a new traffic accident claiming innocent lives in a scene that has become known as “bleeding asphalt” that does not stop in the largest Arab country in terms of population.
In the most recent of these tragedies, it turned into something like a funeral; The groom, a young man, was killed after his car overturned and fell into one of the canals in the Nile Delta governorates.
The accident and other recurring incidents brought to mind a long series of traffic disasters that are repeated in various Egyptian governorates, amid renewed questions about the reasons for their continuation.
Dr. Osama Aqeel, professor of roads and transportation at the Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University, believes that the reasons for the recurrence of these accidents are due to many factors.
In an interview with DW Arabia, he said that "weak control" on roads is one of the most prominent factors leading to repeated accidents. He pointed out that the absence of adequate supervision creates an environment that allows for a high probability of accidents occurring, stressing that the transportation system cannot operate efficiently in light of “randomness.”
He stressed that "randomness is a broad concept that includes a large number of causes and factors and is not related to humans alone, but rather includes the vehicle, the road and the surrounding environment."
Although officials have confirmed on numerous occasions that the human factor is the main cause behind most accidents, based on the huge investments made by the state to develop the road and railway network, Dr. Aqeel refuses to reduce the problem to this factor alone.
He stresses that "the human element cannot be considered an independent cause of accidents except in rare exceptional cases in which the behavior is intentional."
Data published by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics in Egypt, late last June, showed that the number of deaths in road accidents in the country, including car and train accidents, rose by 10.8% during the year 2025.
The number of deaths from road accidents increased to 5,829 people in 2025, compared to 5,260 people in 2024.
The data also showed that the number of people injured in road accidents reached 84,553 people in 2025, compared to 76,362 people injured in 2024, an increase of 10.7 percent.
In the middle of this month, the word “Al-Dawawis,” a road in Ismailia Governorate, topped social media platforms after it witnessed a collision between two “quarter-haul” vehicles that were carrying workers, resulting in the deaths of 18 people and the injury of more than 30 others.
For his part, Dr. Hassan Mahdi, professor of road and transportation engineering at Ain Shams University, explains that the human element remains “responsible for about 67% of accidents, as a result of wrong driving behaviors and unsafe practices.”
He added in an interview with DW Arabia, "The economic factor comes next, as it prompts some to use vehicles designated for transporting goods to transport passengers and workers, despite the serious risks this poses."
Perhaps what draws attention in the Ismailia tragedy is that the vehicles involved were small trucks, a means used by many business owners to transport male and female workers, despite their lack of the most basic safety standards.
Following the incident, the governor of Ismailia stressed the “total ban” on transporting workers on open transport vehicles.
In mid-June, Egyptians woke up to a painful tragedy known as the “tea seller” incident, after a girl was killed while working in selling hot drinks to passers-by on one of the famous roads adjacent to the Giza Pyramids area.
The incident increased the state of shock and anger, after he documented video clips of an accident where the victim was run over by a car that was driven by a minor accompanied by his girlfriend.
With the Egyptian Interior Ministry’s statement withdrawn, the driver lost control of the steering wheel as a result of reckless driving, causing the car to swerve and collide with the girl in a tragic scene that shook public opinion.
The incident ignited a widespread wave of interaction and anger on social media platforms, amid calls for strict law enforcement.
In this context, Professor of Roads and Transport at Ain Shams University, Dr. Hassan Mahdi, stressed the importance of “quick and decisive application of the law to achieve traffic deterrence,” stressing the need to tighten procedures for “issuing driver’s licenses and verifying the competence of drivers.”
The numbers of traffic violations reflect the magnitude of the challenges facing the road safety system in Egypt. During the first half of last year, more than 18 million traffic violations were recorded, topped by speeding violations, which represented about 48% of the total violations.
As for the Egyptian government, over the past decade it has pumped huge investments into what was known as the “National Roads Project,” which is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country with the aim of creating a modern network of roads and bridges linking various governorates.
This was not limited to expanding the construction of new roads, but also included developing and raising the efficiency of the existing network, as about 8,400 kilometers of main roads were modernized at a cost amounting to 110 billion pounds, out of a total of 10,000 kilometers that the state aims to develop.
The government confirms that these investments have begun to bear fruit in terms of traffic safety. According to a report by the Prime Minister, road projects have contributed to reducing death rates resulting from car accidents in recent years.
In this context, Dr. Osama Aqeel said, “When the state provides good lighting, improves visibility, and limits sources of distraction, it reduces the possibility of accidents.”
He added, "One study in Egypt showed that about 50% of accidents involve a truck. Creating lanes or roads designated for trucks and isolating them from small vehicles can significantly reduce the chances of accidents occurring."
He stressed, "The real question is not only: Did the driver make a mistake? Rather, is there also a responsibility placed on the authorities responsible for planning and managing roads?"
