Uganda Driving

One thing that makes driving difficult in Uganda is the number of people (and animals) on the roadway.  Driving back to GSF by myself yesterday, I decided to keep track.  In a 10 km (6.2 miles) distance, there were over 200 pedestrians!  Now consider this… These are mommas with babies, small children, kids hauling water on their heads, people pushing or riding bicycles loaded with supplies, etc.  Furthermore, the people are ON the road with you, not walking beside the road on a sidewalk.  Beyond that, we’re talking about roadways that normally aren’t paved and aren’t as wide as a two-lane street in the states.  Rural roads are generally just wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other.  And if there is a guy on a bicycle there at the same time, then he either has to bail into the grass or one vehicle has to slow down and wait to ease around the bicycle until the other vehicle has passed.

I know this still isn’t a good picture.  Next time you drive in the states, count how many people you pass walking on the road/sidewalk in a distance of one mile.  According to the number above, which was a typical day, there were 33 people per mile – again, pedestrians on the road, not walking near/alongside the road.  That doesn’t count how many goats, cows and sheep were there also.  We learn to adjust and pray more sincerely for safety while driving!