Road safety programme
Road safety pertains to the measures taken to reduce the risk of road traffic injuries and death.
Through intersectional coordination and collaboration, countries in Africa can work improve their road safety legislation, creating a safer, more accessible, and sustainable environment for transport systems. It is essential that countries implement measures to make roads safer not only for car occupants, but also for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. In fact, road traffic deaths among motorized 2-3 wheelers have increased from 15% in 2010 to 20% in 2013, reflecting the rise of the number of motorcycles in this region. Road safety issues pose an even greater risk to the youth population in Africa, with road traffic injuries standing as the leading cause of death in children aged 5-14 and the second leading cause in the group aged 15-19
It is estimated that in 2010, the road traffic injuries caused approximately 149,992 deaths in Africa. The average mortality rate for Africa due to traffic injuries was 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. In the sub-regions, the average rate of mortality per 100,000 traffic accidents varies from 10.9 to 22.1.
Vulnerable users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists are the main victims of fatal road crashes where the occupants of the car are the main victims.