As of Saturday 11 May, drivers who surpass the officially mandated speed limits in Egypt may be subjected to criminal charges, according to a statement released on Facebook by the Egyptian Public Prosecutor.
A multi-vehicle collision south of Cairo on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to 11 others, and a recent surge in deadly traffic accidents mainly attributed to speeding, has prompted Egypt’s General Prosecutor Mohammed Shoukry to introduce a harsher penalty on speeding vehicles.
Prior to the latest directive, speeding was penalized with a fine only. However, this week, the decision was implemented to address the potential dangers speeding poses to people and property, enabling prosecutors to consider criminal charges in such cases.
Shoukry has instructed all public prosecutor offices to prioritize speeding violations and to take necessary legal actions against speeding drivers. This involves issuing fines corresponding to the seriousness of the infraction. He also ordered that individuals, who drive at extremely high speeds, face criminal prosecution.
A Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) study shows that road accident injuries in Egypt witnessed an 8.7 percent increase in 2022 compared to the previous year, which shows that Saturday’s accident is one example of a growing trend.
According to Egyptian law, designated speeds on roads vary depending on the type of road and vehicle.
Within residential, industrial, and tourist areas, the speed limit is set at 60 km/h for most vehicles, while trailers and semi-trailers are restricted to 40 km/h.
On highways and major intercity routes, speeds range from 60 km/h for trailers and semi-trailers to 90 km/h for passenger transport vehicles, with trucks limited to 70 km/h. Desert roads, such as those connecting Cairo to Alexandria and Cairo to Ismailia/Port Said, have varying speed limits ranging from 70 km/h for trailers to 100 km/h for other vehicle types. As for the Cairo-Ain Sokhna Road, it permits cars to travel at a speed of 120 km/h.
The post Speeding Drivers in Egypt Could Face Criminal Charges first appeared on Egyptian Streets.
Source: egyptianstreets
