The minibus taxi spun: everything moving in slow motion with broken glass flying everywhere. I am not sure how many people were injured. I was able to leave the damaged vehicle through the window, as the door was smashed shut. I stood there unable to fathom exactly what had happened. With my handbag clutched close, I walked away realising I could have lost my life in an Addis minibus taxi alongside 14 strangers. I walked home, spitting shards of glass.

This was four years ago, but the trauma stays with me. This was not the only time I have been in a car accident, but this was by far the closest to being fatal. My family has experienced multiple consequences of traffic accidents, and we are not an exception, just one of many. Devastation from vehicle accidents knocks on the doors of every household in Ethiopia.

The World Health Organization ranks the nation at 22nd in the world when comparing death rates to population. In analysis of leading causes of death in Ethiopia, deaths caused by traffic accidents rate higher than deaths related to HIV/AIDS. While the fatalities reported to statistical agencies may vary, the magnitude of deaths caused because of careless driving, which we see each and every day, is a staggering number.

In slang terminology the red Sinotruck is satirically referred to as the red terror, comparing it to a campaign of terror in the 70s that cost many lives. It shows the scale of how many lives are lost at the hands of this truck model. Over the weekend, while passing by Lem Hotel, I witnessed a Sinotruck that had bulldozed through a small shop, disintegrating a wall, and halted in the living room of a family. I was not able to learn if anyone had lost their lives in the incident, but the devastation was serious.

The inability to understand the technology we hold in our hands is causing us to spiral out of control. In the way people drive in Addis Abeba, we see drivers flexing their privilege. The way drivers expect the roads to open up and everyone to accommodate their needs is exceedingly inappropriate. Drivers’ expectations that pedestrians should be running through zebra crossings instead of walking with dignity as is the right of citizens, is astounding.

The value drivers behind the wheel give to human life is much less than the value they put on their vehicle. Among the privileges of driving, there comes the responsibility to human life. Life is not something that should be taken for granted. Vehicle accidents around the world are the number one cause of death in the world for young adults 15-29. Our nation is losing productive citizens, homes are losing bread earners and sparks of joy dim from their loss.