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Chijioke Iremeka
A recent World Health Organization report attributed poor compliance with road safety standards to the rise in road deaths in Africa over the past decade, with 250,000 lives lost in 2021 alone.
The WHO report on the state of road safety 2023, published in July 2024, found that post-crash care services were also inadequate in most countries, with less than a third meeting recommended levels for pre-hospital care, emergency care and rehabilitation services.
According to the report, between 2010 and 2021, the region saw a 17% increase in road deaths, accounting for nearly a fifth of all global road deaths, despite being home to just 15% of the world’s population and 3% of its vehicles.
The report attributes this worrying trend to several factors, including insufficient road safety laws and standards, saying that most road traffic data systems in Africa only record road-related deaths, excluding information on injuries and their severity, including long-term consequences such as disability.
The WHO report highlights that while road traffic deaths have been decreasing in other regions, in Africa the number of deaths continues to rise every day, with a 17% increase in road traffic deaths in the last 10 years.
In 2021, the report found that around 250,000 people died on Africa’s roads, a significant increase compared to the global figure of 1.19 million lives, which saw a 5% decline over the same period.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said: “No country in the region currently has laws that meet best practice standards for the five main behavioural risk factors for road safety: speeding, drink-driving, failure to use motorcycle helmets, seat belts and child restraints.
“The findings of this report highlight a serious public health concern, with hundreds of thousands of lives needlessly lost. At WHO, we are committed to working with countries to address this preventable threat and to supporting efforts to make our roads safer for both motorists and pedestrians.”
The report found that men aged 15 to 64 are the main victims of road crashes. Vulnerable road users, such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, are particularly at risk, with road-related deaths among motorcyclists doubling in the last decade.
According to the report, some countries have made progress in establishing multimodal transport systems that include bicycles, motorcycles and efficient public transport, stressing that such systems are considered more equitable, environmentally friendly and safe for road users.
WHO said: “However, Africa remains one of the fastest growing markets for used vehicles, with total vehicle registrations nearly doubling and two- and three-wheeler registrations tripling since the 2013 status report.
“Only 13 countries have national strategies to promote walking and cycling. Although there has been progress in vehicle safety equipment legislation, pedestrian protection remains largely unaddressed.”
The report also highlights that road infrastructure safety levels are particularly low and only a small percentage of roads meet acceptable standards for various users.
He noted that WHO is working with countries to strengthen road safety through advocacy, technical support, awareness-raising and training. This includes improving the capacity of countries like Zambia to collect and report data on road traffic deaths.
“To achieve the United Nations General Assembly target of halving road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030, WHO recommends a concerted effort to implement various interventions.
“These include developing sustainable transport systems, strengthening road safety legislative frameworks, investing in data management systems, improving post-crash response, and conducting research tailored to the continent’s unique challenges,” the report reads.
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