7.2 Keeping death off the roads in Uganda
Today, says this report, Uganda has the highest rate of road accidents in Africa and the world, after Ethiopia. In 2011 there were 22,272 accidents accounting for 3,343 deaths. Pedestrians accounted for over 39% of casualties, constituting the class of road user with the highest nu mber killed.
In addition to the human loss, there are serious economic losses associated with road accidents which hinder development. The latest figures show this cost as UGX 800 billion a year.
The Uganda Police say that the majority of accidents are a result of careless or reckless driving and poor maintenance of vehicles.
Initiatives to improve safety have included an increased police presence on the roads and better enforcement of traffic regulations. The report states that one key recommendation is to increase road reserve widths from 15 metres to 40 metres to allow room for traffic to keep apart and avoid accidents.
Issuing body: Uganda Roads Sector Support Initiative
Type: Report
Status: Final
Title: Road safety issues in Uganda
File type: Word document
File size: 223 KB
Year of publication: Unknown
Number of pages: 2
