Deaths from road accidents in Africa have surged over the past decade, with 250,000 lives lost in 2021 alone, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The increase in road fatalities is attributed to poor road safety standards, with few African countries enforcing laws against speeding, drunken driving, and the mandatory use of motorcycle helmets, seat belts, and child restraints.
The WHO reports that road deaths in Africa are becoming a more significant problem compared to other regions. From 2010 to 2021, road fatalities on the continent increased by 20,000, whereas global road deaths fell by 5% during the same period.
Binta Sako, a WHO technical officer, highlighted the lack of infrastructure and risky road user behavior as primary factors for the rising death toll. “Urbanization without adequate infrastructure, an increase in unregulated and often unroadworthy used vehicles, and behavioral risk factors like speeding and drunken driving are major contributors,” Sako explained.
Road users such as motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians are particularly vulnerable, with the Africa region having the highest proportion of pedestrian deaths globally. Researchers note that no African country has national laws that fully meet best road safety practices.
Sam Clark, the head officer at Transaid, an international NGO advocating for road safety, emphasized the importance of driver training. “Training drivers to the required standard helps keep both the driver and other road users safe,” Clark said. “By improving access to quality training, we are equipping drivers with the skills needed to come home safe at the end of every day.”
Under-reporting of road injuries and deaths in Africa remains a significant challenge, as police records are a primary data source but not all accidents are reported. Sako stressed that accurate data on road crashes is crucial for developing targeted prevention efforts. “When we don’t have quality data, we don’t understand what is going on, why people are dying on the roads, or what caused those crashes,” she said.
Despite the grim statistics, seventeen African countries have reported reductions in road fatalities. The U.N. aims to cut road accident deaths in half by 2030, but road safety workers and activists often lack the necessary funding and knowledge to achieve this goal.
