The Concorde crash in July 2000

Huh? Oh yes, I stumbled across a documentary about the Concorde crash in France in July 2000.

What an incredible set of circumstances! A simple little metal bar “lost” by the plane (a DC10) that had taken off just before the Concorde.

The supersonic aircraft rolling over it, the said bar being thrown onto the wing, at the level of the fuel tanks…

The shock wave piercing the tank… the kerosene escaping by the ton… and obviously catching fire, causing the loss of the left engine.

The plane obviously lost thrust, and we all unfortunately know the fatal outcome.

Oh yes, another coincidence: the aircraft was a bit “overloaded” that day, with about a hundred German tourists on board, along with their heavy luggage.

A coincidence? Was it destiny? Was it bad luck? A bit of cough, no doubt.

A tragic accident that teaches us that despite all the safety measures you can take, 100% safety unfortunately doesn’t exist. A single grain of sand can cause even the most well-oiled machinery to seize up.

Yes, but still… that’s no excuse for not taking maximum safety measures, is it? We agree.

And one thing led to another, and it’s precisely this safety issue that is of concern regarding this proposed highway in Madagascar.

We’re told about the benefits this expressway will bring, and they are certainly justified. But we can’t ignore the risk of accidents.

And given the initial drafts we’ve been proudly shown, these risks are unfortunately very significant.

It’s not a problem of “the structure is under construction, it’s normal that it’s not all there yet“… No, the problem is truly structural.

What to know? The total width is clearly insufficient. We don’t require 2×19 lanes or even 2×3 lanes… but there are three safety requirements that must be met.

First of all: a central reservation of sufficient width. No vehicle, including heavy goods vehicles, must be able to land on the other side, period.

Second, the existence of an emergency lane. Mechanical breakdowns happen, and there will be many on this highway.

Can you imagine the carnage when these vehicles stop on the roadway, with vehicles coming up behind them at 100 km/h or more? Google images of highway pileups to get an idea of what it looks like.

Thirdly, take a good look at this photo: between the emergency lane and the shoulder, there’s another barrier.

This barrier isn’t there for show; it serves a dual purpose: ultra-safety. The first is to protect the lives of passengers in a vehicle that has broken down and is stopped on the hard shoulder.

When the car has broken down, it is forbidden to remain inside: all passengers must get out and jump over the barrier to reach safety.

A second, no less essential role: this barrier prevents access to the highway to any “foreign element” that has no place on a highway. This includes humans, animals, pedestrians, etc.

You’re only 8 kilometers into construction. It’s never too late to correct the situation and widen your highway.

One last practical point to know: it is forbidden to drive on the hard shoulder. €135 and 3 points, in case you didn’t know.