By A Correspondent

According to the UK-based guide website Scrap Car Comparison, Zimbabwe is the third-scariest country in the world to drive in.

Zimbabwe’s score of 6.9 out of 10 places it just below the top-ranked India with a score of 7.15 and Venezuela with a score of 6.97.

In an international survey, Scrap Car Comparison asked more than 2,000 drivers to rate their level of anxiety when driving in each nation on a scale of 1 to 10.

“We also aimed to assist drivers worldwide in maintaining their safety on the roads,” stated Scrap Car Comparison.

One of the main causes of the score was Zimbabwe’s inadequate rural road system. Its urban road maintenance earned it unusual recognition.

According to the report, “roads in Zimbabwe are generally kept in good condition, particularly in big cities, but roads in rural areas are less well maintained.”

“In the nation, fuel shortages are also rather common.”

The only other African nations in the Top 10 are Tunisia (ranked seventh) and Morocco (ranked fourth).

The condition of Zimbabwe’s roads, especially its highways, has significantly improved thanks to an Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme that was implemented by the government and primarily funded by ZINARA.

Zimbabwe’s road system needed repair because it was potholed, lacked obvious markings, and was nonexistent in some places.

ZINARA has so far distributed more than ZW$2 billion (roughly US$50 million) for road rehabilitation throughout the nation, which was once deemed a national disaster. The amount is equivalent to 91% of its current year’s budget.