Ethiopian Informer
File photo shows an over-loaded motorcycle taxi in Benin. Over-loaded vehicles are often major causes of deadly road crashes across the African continent and elsewhere in the developing world World Bank/Stephan Gladieu
By: Habtamu W. Liben
ADDIS ABABA (EI): In a continent where road traffic accidents claim lives at an alarming rate, experts and policymakers argue that the African Road Safety Charter, adopted by African Union (AU) member states in January 2016, stands as a beacon of hope, providing a common framework for enhancing road safety measures across Africa.
The 31-article charter outlines critical provisions aimed at developing and implementing road safety policies and strategies tailored to the unique challenges of the continent. It calls for the creation and strengthening of road safety lead agencies, development of road safety strategies, improved road safety data management system. It recommends creating safer roads and promoting mobility, including the classification of roads based on their intended use, enforcing minimum vehicle safety standards, as well as the implementation of stringent road safety legislation addressing issues such as speed limits, driving under the influence, and the use of safety gear.
However, over eight years since its inception, only 12 countries have ratified the charter, falling short of the minimum threshold of 15 ratifications for it to take effect. Experts and policymakers argued that the slow progress poses significant risks, as road fatalities across Africa have surged by 17 percent since 2010, starkly contrasting global trends as the global rates for road traffic-related fatalities fell by 5 percent since 2010, according to a recent UN report.
ALARMING REALITY OF ROAD SAFETY IN AFRICA
Binta Sako, violence and injury prevention technical officer at the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa, said in a recent interview that the African continent bears a disproportionate share of the global road traffic fatalities, underscoring the severity of the issue, particularly given the continent’s limited healthcare infrastructure to support victims of road crashes.
Despite accounting for 15 percent of the global population and owning merely 3 percent of the global vehicle fleet, the African continent recorded one-fifth of the global burden of road traffic deaths, according to the WHO latest status report on road safety in Africa. The report noted that Africa continues to have the most perilous roads globally, placing immense strain on the continent’s economy and public health systems. In 2021 alone, nearly 250,000 lives were lost on African roads.
Sako emphasized that Africa’s road safety crisis is more than just numbers, saying that the phenomenon represents “a pressing human tragedy” that can be mitigated through targeted interventions. She underscored the abrupt nature of road crashes resulting in devastating losses for families and communities, leading to long-term emotional and economic repercussions.
With no country in Africa currently having laws that meet the best practice standards for the five key road safety behavioral risk factors — speeding, drink driving, non-use of motorcycle helmets, seatbelts and child restraints — experts and policymakers argue that the African Road Safety Charter stands as a beacon of hope to bring about better road safety across the continent.
A UNIFIED APPROACH TO ROAD SAFETY
The AU Assembly, comprised of African heads of state and government, adopted the 31-article charter as a framework for enhancing road safety across the continent. Upon adopting the charter, African leaders expressed “deep concern” over the “inordinately high” rate of road crashes and their substantial socioeconomic impact, with costs nearing 2 percent of gross national product, according to the AU.
According to Amani Abou-Zeid, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, the adoption of the Charter reflects a growing political will to save lives on Africa’s roads. Yet, over eight years later, it has not achieved the necessary threshold of ratifications.
With Namibia becoming the first country to deposit its instrument of the charter’s ratification to the AU Commission back in February 2019, the other 11 African countries to follow suit include Benin, Central African Republic (CAR), Ethiopia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Eswatini, Togo, and Uganda.
Experts argue that ratifying the charter, eventually leading to its effective implementation, is essential for implementing a cohesive continental road safety framework that can help reduce road crashes. They mainly attributed the charter’s slow ratification progress to an apparent lack of understanding of the magnitude of road safety-related challenges in Africa and limited political commitment.
File photo from NTUA Road Safety Observatory
Placide Badji, Economic Affairs Officer at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)’s connectivity and infrastructure development division, said with road safety challenges becoming a persistent public health concern across Africa, concerted efforts and enough resources are needed to be allocated for road safety agenda at the national, regional and continental levels.
“What we realized is that the bulk of the countries over the continent don’t even have the fundamentals of road safety,” Badji said in a recent interview, emphasizing the charter’s crucial importance as it offers a unified framework for road safety protocols. “Political commitment is the first challenge. It seems that there is a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the problem — how this is hampering countries’ GDP, as well as their social and economic development.”
Patrick Kinyanjui, the regional coordinator for Africa Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, echoed this sentiment, noting that countries have been ratifying the charter “at a very slow process” since its adoption. He lamented the charter’s lack of popularity, noting that while no country can be forced to sign or ratify it, increasing awareness about the charter and its benefits should be a priority for African road safety advocates.
“As a continent, if we have to improve road safety, a common binding document or framework is very important. We believe the charter is quite important, and it has good provisions as to what countries should do when its enforceable. Unfortunately, the charter is not a very popular document among AU member states,” Kinyanjui said.
LEARNING FROM EARLY ADOPTERS
Despite these challenges, there are promising examples from countries that have ratified the charter. Ethiopia, an early adopter, views the charter as a crucial framework for improving road safety management.
Despite a low per capita car ownership rate, deadly traffic accidents are relatively common in Ethiopia, often attributed to reckless driving, lax road safety management systems and enforcement of safety regulations. Studies also associated the issue to challenges in promoting safer roads and mobility, implementation of stringent road safety measures addressing issues such as speed limits, driving under the influence, and the use of safety gear.
Experts argue that fully implementing the charter will positively complement national legislations and efforts towards addressing the major challenges hampering the realization of effective road safety management systems at national and continental level.
Yohannis Lemma, CEO of Road Safety Education and Capacity Building at Ethiopia’s Road Safety and Insurance Fund Service, asserted that understanding the economic, social, and psychological impacts of road crashes is key to fast-tracking the charter’s swift entry into implementation.
“In order to address road traffic challenges in Africa in a practical and meaningful way, countries need to develop a common platform that can be used as a policy guideline. Hence, the adoption and implementation of the Africa Road Safety Charter is an important step to assess the progress and gaps related to road safety on a wider continental level,” Lemma said in a recent interview.
While Kenya is one of the AU member states that are yet to ratify or sign the charter, Duncan Kibogong, National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) deputy director in charge of road safety, said that active efforts are ongoing to navigate the necessary steps for its ratification.
Underscoring the need for collaboration with various agencies to expedite the adoption of the charter, Kibogong said concerted efforts are underway to facilitate the charter’s ratification process, involving multiple reviews and approvals by relevant bodies. He said such structured processes are essential to ensure that the charter is thoroughly integrated into national policy.
CALL FOR CONCERTED EFFORTS TO ROAD SAFETY
Bright Oywaya’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the far-reaching effects of the pressing human tragedy emanating from road safety challenges in Africa. After an unfortunate road crash some 27 years ago left her in a wheelchair for life, she became a passionate road safety advocate, highlighting the emotional and socio-economic toll on victims and their families.
Oywaya, a Kenyan road safety advocate and former NTSA vice chair, urged for a shift in perspective, calling for road safety to be prioritized as a vital investment rather than an expense.
“Enhancing road safety is not just about regulations, it is about saving lives and fostering healthier communities. Every life lost and resources damaged to road crashes represent untapped potential and a tragedy that can be prevented,” Oywaya said.
File photo from UNICEF/Tanya Bindra
Kinyanjui acknowledged the critical role of civil society organizations in promoting the charter’s ratification by AU member states, citing the example of Senegal, which is the most recent country to deposit its instrument of the charter’s ratification to the AU Commission back in September 2023.
Highlighting that more efforts need to be done to bring the charter to the spotlight, he emphasized the importance of supporting the AU in raising awareness about the charter and the severity of road safety problem in Africa, ultimately working towards better socio-economic conditions for Africa’s 1.4 billion people.
