2023-05-05 04:18:00
Sub-Saharan Africa is the region of the world proportionally most affected by road accidents, with a mortality rate of 27/100,000 inhabitants, three times higher than the average of 9/100,000 in Europe. The world average is 18/100,000.
Visiting the region to accelerate the implementation of new mobility policies, said the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, deplored that the continent is “particularly affected by this tragedy of road accidents, representing the first cause of the mortality of its young people”.
“We deplore around 25% of the number of victims there, while the continent concentrates barely 2% of the world car fleet. This is intolerable when solutions exist,” he noted.
Jean Todt begins his visit by Senegal (3-6 May), then will travel to Côte d’Ivoire (7-8 May) to meet the ministers there as well as representatives of the private sector, the public sector and NGOs in order to advocate for the effective implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, which aims to halve the number of road fatalities by 2030.
Recent tragedies that have shaken public opinion
This beginning of the year was marked by tragic collisions in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. Two bus accidents in Senegal last January killed 62 people and injured around 100 others.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the death rate on the roads is 24/100,000 inhabitants in Senegal. 519 people died on Senegalese roads between January 1 and September 3, 2022, which exceeds the number of deaths (487) for the whole of 2021.
In January, in Yamoussoukro in Côte d’Ivoire, another bus accident caused the death of 14 people and injured 70 others, while a collision caused the death of 25 people in August 2022 north of Abidjan. . The daily average of road accidents in Côte d’Ivoire has increased from 12 in 2012 to 46 in 2022 according to the National Security Council (CNS).
These bus accidents have highlighted the dilapidated state of the vehicle fleet in the two countries, the lack of technical control and the non-respect of the highway code.
Urgent challenges
Drunk driving, speed, drowsiness, negligence, failure to wear seat belts and helmets, and non-compliance with the Highway Code are the cause of the majority of road accidents. road in Africa, says the UNECE in a press release. The dilapidated state of the car fleet and public transport, false permits, the lack of application of sanctions and the lack of serious technical controls are also major causes of accidents.
Among the solutions to be implemented, there is not only the need to strengthen the health services accommodating the injured, but also adherence to the African Road Safety Charter and the United Nations Basic Safety Conventions. roads or the need to strengthen public awareness campaigns.
With Africa having the highest proportion of cyclist and pedestrian fatalities – 44% of total road fatalities – the UNECE sees the need to protect these most vulnerable road users, who are often also the most vulnerable. the poor or the youngest.
Besides the human tragedy, road accidents drag countries into a vicious circle of poverty. According to the World Bank, the cost of road accidents represents 8% of Senegal’s annual GDP and 7.8% of that of Côte d’Ivoire.
Strong new measures to be implemented
Strong measures were announced by the Senegalese government following the tragic accidents in January. A national road safety plan (PNSR) with 22 new measures has been adopted for the period 2021-2030, with the objective of reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries by 50%.
This plan also includes the strengthening of road checks, the limitation of circulation of public transport vehicles, the prohibition of the import of used tires, the free technical control in Dakar for transport and goods vehicles or the opening technical control centers in the regions.
Awareness actions are also implemented regularly.
In Côte d’Ivoire, new initiatives have also been taken, in particular concerning the strengthening of laws on road safety, the creation of a traffic police or the States General of Transport. In 2021, the government decided to enforce the wearing of helmets following several fatal accidents in the north of the country.
Vehicles in a very advanced state of disrepair
But the dilapidated state of the vehicle fleet is also a source of concern and requires special attention in West Africa.
Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire depend mainly on imports of used vehicles. In 2016, the average age of the park in Senegal was 18 years old, with 40% of the park being over 20 years old, indicates a study by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Senegal had enacted a decree since 2001 limiting the age for importing cars to 5 years. This decree was modified in 2012 bringing the age to 8 years.
In 2020, the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal are part, adopted a directive on the limitation of vehicle emissions, which regulates new and used vehicles imported into the region. The directive includes vehicle age restrictions, an emissions limit and a certification requirement.
This initiative is the first harmonized approach in Africa to regulate imported used vehicles. When fully implemented, it will have a significant impact on the environment, health and road safety, the UNECE statement said.
The United Nations Road Safety Fund has invested in a project to import safer and more environmentally friendly vehicles in Africa. In partnership with ministries, the private sector and civil society, the initiative supports the regulation of the export and import of used vehicles in Africa and in particular the regulations on vehicles and technical inspections or the system of anti-lock braking.
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