Safety expert Fatjon Softa has commented on the serious accident that occurred a few days ago on the Tirana-Elbasan axis, where a concrete mixer went off the road after crossing the protective barriers and falling from the roundabout below.
Invited to the show "News24 Weekend" with Megi Latifi, Softa stated that in addition to the behavior of drivers, road safety elements should also be verified, including the quality and certification of protective barriers.
According to him, preventing accidents requires the creation of a complete control system, which includes driver education, the use of technology and the implementation of safety standards. The expert also raised questions about the protective barriers at the accident site, demanding verification of the materials and method of their construction.
"The certification of the barrier, the steel it is made of, the method of construction and the reinforcements must be looked at. These barriers must be able to support a high-tonnage vehicle, such as a concrete mixer that can be around 30 tons," he said.
Softa also brought to attention a previous case, stating that barriers should not fail in the face of heavy vehicles.
"The barriers couldn't even hold an 'Audi', which came out the other side. We should have learned a lesson the first time," the expert declared.
He warned that the consequences could have been much more severe if such a vehicle had ended up on a bus.
"Imagine if that concrete mixer had fallen on a bus with school students. We would have had a national tragedy. What should we expect for such events to happen?" Softa said.
