On a Roadway in Malawi … There are few paved roads in Malawi, and even fewer without dangerous pavement breaks along the edges of the roadway. Most roads are narrow, and most are rut-carved dirt roads, with an abundance of potholes. Even being on one of the decent roads, it is still dangerous. Large trucks are filled to a width that is wider than the narrow lane they are expected to stay within, and people walking in the gravel near the edge of the tarmac make it necessary for the truck to ride the centerline to miss clipping unsuspecting pedestrians. There are the animals that run across the road in front of the vehicles. Goats especially seem to feel it is almost always necessary to be on the opposite side of the road just ahead of the car passing. And finally, don’t forget the vehicles that break down directly in the roadway and the only warning is a tree limb lying in the road not far from the breakdown location.
At night, it could be catastrophic to hit either a goat or a human being walking on or near the roadway, or for that matter to come upon a vehicle breakdown sitting right in the middle of your lane. All in all, the roads in Malawi are among the most dangerous aspects of the country.