Prioritise implementation of the national road safety action plan

The number of crashes and crash fatalities on our roads remains unacceptably high, with an estimated 12,589 and 4,159 respectively as reported in the Annual Traffic and Crime Report by the Uganda Police Force (UPF) in 2022.

Over the years Uganda’s progress in reducing road fatality rates has stagnated in recent years. It appears highly unlikely that the Uganda’s current medium term target, to halve the number of road deaths between 2022 and 2026, will be reached. Even less progress has been made in preventing serious injuries.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment towards preventing and reducing road crashes by 25 percent in the next five years. To move towards these goals, a new approach is set out in the National Road Safety Action Plan which was launched in last year October.

First of all, the reason behind the National Road Safety Action Plan needs to take hold more than it has so far, both among policy makers, civil society and in society at large. Road crashes are silent killers in that they often go virtually unnoticed in the public sphere, even though, taken together, many people lose their lives on the road every week.

For the safe system approach to work, experience shows that all actors need to play their part in a coordinated manner. Public authorities in all sectors relevant for road safety objectives, including transport and infrastructure, environment, education, the police, public health, justice, academia and civil society need to work together closely at all levels. This is because, all these stakeholders have crucial roles to play.

Secondly, we need to implement the safe system mentioned in the National Road Safety Action Plan across the country.  The core elements are ensuring safe vehicles, safe infrastructure, safe road use (no speeding, sober driving, wearing safety belts and helmets) and better post-crash care, all long established and important factors in the safe system approach.

High speeding, especially on high ways and in high built-up areas has been highlighted as one of the leading causes of road crashes in the country. Currently, the 2004 regulations set the speed limit at 50 km/h for urban centres and high built-up areas but a speed limit of 30 km/h should be considered for roads in school zones and high built-up areas.

Thirdly, we have to be ready to confront new trends, such as the growing phenomenon of distraction by mobile devices. Some technological advances, first and foremost in connectivity and automation, will in future create new road safety opportunities by reducing the role of human errors.

The National Road Safety Action Plan indicates that vehicle safety remains poor as the majority of the vehicles imported in the country are used vehicles, and poorly maintained while at the same time they lack periodic vehicle inspection for road worthiness. The Annual Police Crime report noted that there were 92,029 offences of people driving motor vehicles in poor mechanical conditions, which explains the need for vehicle inspection facilities across the country. Such vehicle inspections would be key in detecting technical defects and thereby preventing road crashes in the country.

The impending introduction of a demerit point system where every driver who violates traffic rules face a deduction of points is long overdue. This system will consequently affect one’s permit renewal. In countries such as South Africa where the demerit system has been implemented, it has had a positive impact as it has helped to check driver’s behaviours on the road.

The National Road Safety Action Plan notes that one of the major challenges faced in the move towards reducing road crashes is the lack of adequate resources to properly coordinate all the road safety players across the country and to implement mandated road safety programmes. The Current budget process should be an opportunity for the country where the Executive and Parliament realises that it is high time adequate resources are appropriated for road safety intervention. The same energy should also be seen in releases by MOFPED because many times the Ministry of Works has noted that even the small monies appropriated by Parliament are not released, making it difficult for the ministry to undertake certain tasks in road safety.

Finally, the implementation of the National Emergency Medical Services Policy will be key in reducing avoidable mortality, morbidity and disability for road crash victims by ensuring these victims easily access emergency services.

 Brighton Abaho,  Research and policy officer at Centre for Policy Analysis.