Conflict between drivers, pedestrians and passengers in Ingushetia.
VC continues a series of articles concerning the peculiarities of driving in the North Caucasus. In the articles “Nakhs riding iron horses” and “Wild division and other road adventures” we spoke about traffic laws and traditions in Chechnya. This article is devoted to confrontations between drivers, pedestrians and passengers in Ingushetia.
Intense traffic on the streets of Nazran raises dense dust clouds. Fearful pedestrians try to rush through the wall of “iron steeds”. In Ingushetia, pedestrians are deprived of the main thing - normal sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. During times when the roads are bad, walking is not that easy, and one has to overcome great difficulties. Traffic jams in the main streets of Nazran are caused by the fact that these streets have virtually no interconnections. The reason for this problem is the solid row of various utility buildings, storehouses, garages, warehouses, dividing the thoroughfares of the biggest city of Ingushetia.
The republic’s statistics for traffic accidents are alarming. At the beginning of this year, about 200 people were hospitalized at the Central Republican Hospital due to traffic accidents. There are also deaths. For such a small republic, these figures are alarming. Reckless driving has become the norm. Speed bumps are likely to be the only thing able to stop “auto trick riding”. The state automobile inspectorate for Ingushetia has set up extra posts, organizes patrolling conducted by mobile units, but their actions resemble charging windmills. There is an unwritten rule on the road – the most impudent are always right. The situation is also complicated also by drivers’ disregard of the rights of pedestrians
The process of road crossing is dubbed “Russian roulette”, despite the presence of traffic lights. One never knows whether he will be knocked down or not. Racing in the streets of Nazran resemble shots from the American movie “The Fast and the Furious”. You get the impression that the cars speed up in order to fly up. Nobody uses their safety belt in Ingushetia. Incidentally, in Chechnya, adjacent to Ingushetia, motorists were even trained to fasten their seat belts.
Trying to sort the driving style of local “riders” out, I asked one of them, why he cut in front of other cars and drives out to the solid line. He answered laconically: “It is convenient. Why are these rules for? The main thing is that we are driving stably!”
Once I was going by «pazik» from Ekajevo settlement towards Nazran. Women, elders and children constituted the majority of passengers”. Making the most mileage out of the old car, the driver suddenly raised speed drewing away from the traffic flow. But not all the traffic participants liked the audacity of the driver, by the same token the car’s size virtually admitted of no manoeuvring . The “Gazel” driver took a dare and the impetuous race started. Having gone mad with boldness, the driver didn’t notice the unevenness of the broken roadway and the passengers’ bags were scattered. The driver yield to no passengers’ persuasion. Some passengers wanted to get out of the car. They took small change, which scattered all over the saloon at once. Meanwhile, a heavy truck joined the race. The brake chatter sounded, the passengers of the ill-stared “pazik” fell into the passage, in vane trying to catch hold of top beams and handhold. A woman cried out: “I don’t want to die!” The situation was at its pitch.
«The speed ensure constant control over a vehicle’s movement for meting requirements of the rules». This requirement sounds like a joke in Ingushetia.
Pavel Tzoroev, Nazran. Exclusively for VC
