A Sobering Experience

Last night, one of my friends here (she is also named Julia), was injured in a car crash while on her way to meet Lauren and I at a club to celebrate our last weekend all together in the city. When she was late showing up, I called her phone, which was answered by our friend, Sokwe. He was at the hospital with her, and when he told us what had happened, we caught the first taxi we could find to Princess Marina Hospital.

When we arrived, we got more details--the car she was riding in had been slammed into on the passenger side by an SUV at an intersection. The doctors were stabilizing her, and her boss and several of her co-workers were there, making sure everything that needed to be done was happening. The driver of the car she had been in was slightly dazed, but unhurt. I took on the undesirable but necessary task of searching her phone to find contact info for someone in the States. While I was trolling through her contacts' list (unsuccessfully), she was stabilized, and we were able to go in and talk to her--she was in a neck brace and in shock, but was (to our relief) conscious and able to talk a little. She gave me her mom's phone number, and I called. Having to tell someone thousands of miles away that someone they love has been hurt is not a task I would wish on anyone, but luckily the news was somewhat promising at that point, and her mom, though obviously incredibly worried, stayed calm and said she would call soon and wait to hear if anything new happened.

The night dragged on as Lauren, Sokwe, Julia's boss, and I waited for the results of the x-rays and ultrasounds. Sometime around 3 am, the doctor met with us to show us the x-rays, which held good news--no broken bones, spinal damage, or internal bleeding. Julia was fast asleep when we went in to see her, and it would be some time before she had the cut on her forehead stitched up and was seen by some specialists. So Sokwe drove Lauren and I home, and Julia's boss kept us updated throughout the night. She was released from the hospital earlier today, and I'm going to visit her in a few hours. I am so relieved that she is going to be alright.

A scary night in the hospital serves as a shocking reminder of how prevalent traffic accidents are, particularly in Africa, and what a major problem they have become in Botswana. Many people do not escape with such minor injuries as Julia's, and many lose their lives. Botswana's traffic fatality rate increased 383% between 1976 and 1998 , and in 2007, Botswana had the highest road fatality rate in the world. These staggering statistics can partially be attributed to a growing number of better roads and vehicles since independence, but also comes down to behavior (and some corruption--see the previous article link). I have to wonder why accidents are so common here. Botswana is small (less than 2 million people), with quality roads within and between major cities. The education system is also good, and getting a driver's license is not easy, so it's not that people don't know the risks that accompany bad driving--they make a personal choice to drive unsafely. Accidents tend to increase in frequency at the end of the month, when people are paid and decide to go spend some money having fun out on the town. Drinking and driving is frighteningly common (despite the punishment that accompanies getting caught), but even sober drivers often run red lights or anticipate green ones, or drive quickly and recklessly. Last night, the unseasonable rain probably also wasn't too helpful.

I'm not sure what exactly should be done, and I'm still tired from the night in the hospital, so I'm not thinking very creatively--maybe the government needs to implement mandatory road safety lessons in schools, rather than just have people take a test for a driver's license. I do hope a more successful policy that results in safer driving can be implemented though--I'm so glad my friend is alright, but know that many others will not come out so lucky.

***UPDATED***

Julia changed her flight to go home a day earlier than planned--the following Monday. I went with her to the hospital on Saturday night to get a CT scan (which the first hospital she went to didn't have). The reading was normal, and the doctor gave her the ok to travel. She is now back in Atlanta, recovering.