Kampala
At least more than 250,000 have died in Africa in 2021, according to the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) new Road Safety Status Report.
The report released on Tuesday details a significant rise in road traffic deaths in the region over the last decade.
This indicates a 17 % rise in fatalities since 2010 compared to the global road traffic deaths which have decreased by 5%.
Males aged between 15 and 64 years are the main victims of these fatalities and vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians are the worst affected.
It’s quite disturbing to note that Africa accounts for almost 20% of global road deaths despite having only 15% of the world population with just 3% of the vehicles. This report further stresses the accidents’ attributes to weak road safety laws and low budgets for national road safety policies.
Still, regarding enforcing regulations on speed limits, seat belts, driving and helmets among others, the report says no country in the region has effectively implemented these best practices and standards.
With all these challenges, the report highlights a dire need for improved road safety laws and enforcement across the continent.
“The findings of this report point to a serious public health concern for African countries, with hundreds of thousands of lives being lost unnecessarily,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Moeti further emphasised WHO’s commitment to collaborate with all African countries to tackle this preventable threat and continue fully supporting all efforts to make our roads safer for motorists and pedestrians alike.
However, WHO indicates that a few countries have made progress in establishing transport systems that cater to alternate modes of transport, such as bicycles, motorcycles or pedestrians, as well as efficient public transport.
“More than one-third of countries in the African Region have succeeded in reducing the number of road traffic deaths in the past 10 years,” she said, adding that these successes provide valuable lessons for the Region, demonstrating that robust, multisectoral and evidence-based road safety interventions, along with effective implementation, can make a significant difference.
Used Cars
Currently, Africa’s market for used vehicles is growing at the fastest rate according to WHO’s 2013 Global status report on road safety.
The number of registered vehicles has nearly doubled while the number of two and three-wheel vehicle registrations, has tripled. However, only 13 countries have plans to encourage walking and cycling.
Furthermore, while there are significant strides in introducing laws for vehicle safety, pedestrian safety is still largely ignored. Moreover, the report found that even the road safety ratings are lower with fewer roads meeting acceptable standards.
WHO says it is supporting countries to strengthen the key road safety pillars, through advocacy, technical support, awareness-raising and training. This improved the capacity of countries, like Zambia, to collect and report road traffic deaths data.
Data Gaps
According to Bright Oywaya, a Road Safety Advocacy Consultant for the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) in Kenya, most road traffic data only captures deaths, not the injuries and their severity, including medium- and long-term consequences such as disability.
She says that some people die later after the fatal accidents but are not included in the data due to a lack of close follow hence availing substandard data about the fatalities.
The post-crash care services in the region are also inadequate or unavailable in most countries, fewer than one-third have services that meet recommended levels of access to pre-hospital care, emergency care, and treatment and rehabilitation services.
However, to meet the 2030 United Nations General Assembly’s goal of reducing the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 50%, WHO suggests various recommendations including concerted efforts to implement national road safety strategies and allocate adequate resources to support implementation.
These include policies that promote sustainable transportation systems, improved legislative road safety frameworks, investment in data management systems, improved post-crash response, and research tailored to the continent’s unique challenges.
“Investing in research tailored to the unique challenges and contexts of the African Region can generate real-world examples of effective strategies that have proven successful in the Region,” the report summarised.
Cases In Uganda
However, the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety firmly reflects these concerns with disturbing statistics.
While delivering the June 2024 traffic accident report, SP Kananura Michael, Public Relations Officer, said a total of 432 accidents were recorded, with 97 being fatal, 202 were serious, and 133 were minor.
Among the 424 victims, 100 lost their lives, while 324 sustained injuries. The fatalities included 42 motorcycle riders (13 passengers and 29 riders) as well as 40 pedestrians.
Also, according to the 2023 traffic accident report, the country recorded a total of 23,608 traffic accidents, marking a 16% increase from the previous year. Among these incidents, 4,179 were fatal, resulting in 100 lives lost, while 12,487 were classified as serious, and 6,942 as minor.
One particularly tragic incident occurred on July 16, 2023, at around 8:30 PM, when a collision at Muzizi Forest along the Kagadi-Kyenjojo Road claimed the lives of 15 individuals.
The accident, involving a UAD 431Q Trailer travelling from Sudan to Congo and a UAM 426V Toyota Hiace, highlights the ongoing issues of speeding and inadequate road safety measures.
Uganda’s road safety challenges include reckless driving, poor infrastructure, and insufficient enforcement resources, all contributing to the country’s high rate of road traffic deaths and injuries.
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