The Challenge of Non-Communicable Diseases and Road Traffic ...

42 The Challenge of Non-communicable Diseases and Road Traffic Injuries in Sub-Saharan Africa
BOX 4: The Imperative of the 2011-2020 UN Decade of Action on Road Safety in Africa
Unnecessary loss of life can be prevented by the adoption of measures that are clearly outlined in the five pillars of the
ongoing 2011-2020 UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, which is supported by 103 countries worldwide. These are
geared to:
• Strengthening institutional capacity to further national road safety efforts, including activities such as establishing a
lead agency for road safety in the country involving partners from a range of sectors and developing a national road
safety strategy;
• Influencing safe road design and network management to make roads safer for users, particularly the vulnerable (pedestrians,
cyclists, children, the elderly, bus passengers) and reducing the severity of crashes;
• Making vehicles safer by adopting motor vehicle safety standards; implementing new car safety assessment programs;
and ensuring that all new cars are equipped with seat belts that meet regulatory requirements and pass applicable
crash test standards;
• Influencing road user behavior through sustained enforcement of road traffic laws and standards and rules combined
with public awareness/education activities; and
• Improving post-crash care for the injured, including transporting them in ambulances or rescue helicopters to hospitals
and clinics according to a pre-hospital screening process which determines the appropriate health facility to which to
transport patients, rather than sending them to the nearest facility which might not have the capacity to offer needed
care, to prevent further loss of life.
adopting isolated interventions. The road safety
system (Figure 15) is one scheme for drawing all
these aspects together.
Countries that have successfully reduced RTIs
and fatalities – such as, Australia, Great Britain, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United
FIGURE 15: The Safe System Model for Road Safety
Admittance to system
(condition for entry/exit of
vehicles and the road user)
Education and
information supporting
road users
Safer Vehicles
Safer travel
Alert and compliant road users
Safer speeds
(lower more forgiving
of human error)
Human tolerance
to physical force
Safer travel spaces for
pedestrians and cyclists
Source: [268] with an addition by the authors
Safer roads and roadsides
(more forgiving
of human error)
Understanding
crashes and risk
Enforcement of
road rules
States – have adopted a safe systems approach which
is anchored in the long-term vision of eliminating
road deaths. Under this approach, improved road
safety results depend on three inter-related elements:
institutional management functions, interventions,
and results [269].
Some African countries such as Ghana, Kenya,
Namibia, Nigeria, and South Africa have in place
most of the elements of the safe systems approach
but additional efforts are required to strengthen institutions
and governance capacity for road safety,
including that of the lead agency capacity to better
coordinate and manage an effective multisectoral
response.
Sustained support from the highest levels of government
is needed to:
• Strengthen the results focus of the lead agency and
coordinate arrangements among sectoral institutions
and different levels of government;
• Promote active engagement by business, professional,
and non-government entities;
• Implement policy reviews and institutional reforms
to improve legislation and enforcement
practices, accountability, and the capacity of organizations,
and the testing and licensing of drivers
and the imposition of vehicle safety standards;