Tenkodogo: The road kills, let's not give it another reason. Some road users are engaging in acts of incivility that could cost lives. It is imperative to communicate in order to bring about a positive change in behavior.

According to Burkina Information Agency, on roads across the country, some drivers engage in uncivil acts that could cost lives. In addition to not wearing helmets, there's the absence or poor illumination of headlights, the use of dazzling LED headlights, faulty braking systems, speeding, and improper overtaking. There's also another serious act of incivility: dumping large objects such as warning triangles on the ground.

Indeed, when vehicles break down, drivers place inappropriate objects as makeshift ground triangles. These objects range from branches and twenty-liter jerrycans to stones. If drivers have to spend the night, they light a fire on the shoulder to keep warm. After completing repairs, they leave these objects on the road, potentially causing accidents with serious consequences for other road users.

Complaints have multiplied recently regarding National Route 5. When we decided to investigate, a single trip on February 27, 2026, was enough to confirm the situation. Observations in Koussala, a short distance from Koulpele on the road to Ouagadougou, in Kombissiri town, and at the entrance to Koubri, vindicate the complainants.

Worse still, some are even digging up culverts marking the road's boundaries and using them as road signs. Roads kill; let's not give them another reason to do so. The road is a public good.