AUDIO: Launch of the World Road Safety Report 2015
Road Safety levels in East Africa are alarming. Rwanda and Tanzania have some of the highest road fatality rates in the world, drink driving, little or no helmet use by cyclists and weak legislation make the region an area of concern – as is much of Africa.
According to the most recent year data available (2013) from the World Health Organisation released late last year, there are 27.4 traffic deaths per 100,000 people every year in Uganda. In Kenya it is at 29.1, Rwanda 32.1 and Tanzania 32.9.
In the Developed World Germany has only 4.3 deaths per 100,000 people while the United States and United Kingdom had 10.6 and 2.9 respectively.
The global rates altogether are worrying, with the statistic of 1.25 million deaths from road accidents putting it well higher than deaths from malaria, which are at about 460,000. Road traffic injuries are actually leading cause of death in the world among young people, aged 15 to 29 years – the larger percentage being pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists (Boda Bodas in Uganda).
The fatality rate on Libya’s roads was 73.4 per 100,000 people, way ahead of Thailand at 36.2 in second place.
Between 20 and 50 million more people also suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability as a result of their injury. The report adds that 90% of the world's fatalities on the roads occur in low- and middle-income countries, even though these countries have approximately half of the world's vehicles..
A Uganda Police annual traffic report for 2013, while comparing statistics with the previous year, states that “generally there was a 6% decrease in the total number of persons killed in 2013. However the number of motor cyclists and pedal cyclists who died in 2013 increased by 12.3% and 3.2% respectively from that of 2012.”
The Uganda Report stated that “pedestrians and passengers continue to be the most vulnerable category of road users constituting 40.2% and 26.6 % respectively of the total number of persons killed in 2012. 1,181 pedestrians (40.2%), 781 passengers (26.6 %), 224 pedal cyclists (7.6%), 641 motor cyclists (21.8 %) and 110 drivers (3.7%) were killed in road accidents in 2013.”
Bloomberg supporting worldwide Road Safety effort
Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety has dedicated $250 million over 12 years to implement interventions. They are partners with World Health Organization on this.
Five countries were last year selected to receive technical support to review and strengthen road safety legislation include China, India, Philippines, Thailand and Tanzania.
Ten cities were also identified to have proven road safety interventions implemented. They are Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Bandung, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; Bogota, Colombia; Fortaleza, Brazil; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; Mumbai, India; Sao Paolo, Brazil; and Shanghai, China.
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Uganda's stats - World Road Safety Report (click here)
Africa has the world's deadliest roads: Why this could actually be a design problem—and how every trip cheats death
BELOW different graphics illustrating the state of Road Safety in the World.
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