From: trh%jack.sns.com%harvunxw.BitNet@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU (Al Trh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: Soccer & Roads News
Date: 18 Nov 1992 00:05:51 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: Turkish Cultural Program List <TRKNWS-L%USCVM.BitNet@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

Contents:
a- TURKEY vs. ENGLAND  - Update on Tomorrow's World Cup
Elimination Game
b- Turkish Roads...


NO SWIMMING THE BOSPHORUS FOR COACH PIONTEK

    LONDON, Nov 17, Reuter - Coach Sepp Piontek says Turkey
are no longer Europe's whipping boys and believes they can
upset England in their World Cup soccer qualifier on
Wednesday.
    "We are not a team you just beat anymore. You have to
play well to win now. The days when it was just a question
of how many we lose by are finished," said the former Danish
coach.
    When Piontek brought Turkey to England 13 months ago for
a European championship qualifier he promised to swim the
Bosphorus if they won.
    They lost 1-0 and this time he's making no similar rash
promises.
    "I said I'd swim the Bosphorus because it was
unrealistic that we would win. Now it would not be
sensational," he said.
    "My greatest wish after two and a half years in Turkey
is that we can get our first goal and first point against
England. We have had two very good games against England.
    "They had difficulty winning last time and the day when
we score and win is coming closer and closer," said Piontek
whose Danish team were the last to win a competitive
international at Wembley in 1983.
    Riza Calimbay the Turkish captain said: "Piontek has
made us play more as a team, given us confidence and boosted
our morale and shown us we can measure up to the rest of
Europe."
    Piontek was delaying naming his team until Wednesday.

Report by International Road Federation

   GENEVA (AP) -- Roads in Latvia and Turkey are among the
most dangerous in the world, although India has the highest
accident death toll, according to statistics published
Tuesday.
   The report by the private International Road Federation
shows that Hong Kong has the most crowded roads and Kuwaitis
own the most cars per family.
   Mexico and Spain fare best in the construction category,
with Mexico adding 1,200 miles to its superhighway system
and Spain 600 miles between 1989-1990.
   Investment in the United States and Canada, by contrast,
has gone through a period of stagnation, the report says.
   The International Road Federation represents road-
building and maintenance firms and associations that lobby
governments to improve roads. Its 193-page report is based
on 1991 figures from its members and governments.
   Federation director-general Wim Westerhuis told a news
conference that road traffic in Europe was expected to rise
by 40 percent over the next decade. He said the increase was
expected to be slightly less in North America, but higher in
rapidly industrializing Asian countries like Thailand.
   The survey showed that impoverished Albanians were the
least likely to have cars, with only one for every 50
families. By contrast, there were an average 2.1 cars per
household in affluent Kuwait, 1.9 per household in Iceland
and 1.8 in the United States.
   Turkey had the largest percentage increase in the number
of cars, jumping 54 percent between 1987 and 1991. In
Poland, the transition to capitalism boosted private car
ownership 43 percent.
   Many Turks, however, paid for their new possessions with
their lives. The report said Turkey had one of the highest
accident rates with 24 deaths per 60 million miles driven in
1991. The toll in the Baltic republic of Latvia was slightly
higher at 25, nearly double the 1987 rate.
   The death rate in the United States, by comparison, was
only 1.3 per 60 million miles.
   This means, however, that 44,500 people were killed on
U.S. roads in 1990 and 3.6 million were injured.
   In India, 56,500 people died in road accidents and 254,00
were hurt, the report said.
   The International Road Federation said in many instances
inexperienced drivers and poor quality roads were more to
blame than speed -- particularly in Eastern Europe.
   Westerhuis said different national road signs also
contributed to accidents.
   For instance, superhighway signs in France and many other
Western European nations are blue. But in Switzerland and
Italy -- which border France -- blue signs are used for
slower speed roads, and green is used for superhighways.
   Westerhuis said if road signs and markings were the same
throughout Europe, accidents would fall by 20 percent.