Preliminary results on road safety indicate that a total of 1,275 road crash death involved motorcycle riders were 513 were passengers on the motorcycles and 4,442 riders and 2,578 passengers’ sustained severe injuries respectively.
These crashes occurred in the black spots of Northern bypass specifically Kalererwe, Kisasi-Kyebando corridor, Entebbe Road at Batabata area, Natete and Bombo Road.
While presenting the preliminary report on road crashes for the period January to October 2023 during the launch of road safety week, the Director of Police in charge of traffic department Lawrence Niwabine said that 533 pedestrian were knocked while crossing the road and contributes 38% of the total number 0f pedestrian death, while 445(32%) were knocked when walking along the road and 118 died of crash while standing also along the road.
“Organizing Motorists is a chain problem. We have been doing false diagnosis, it’s time now for us to start from importer, dealers, licensing, training, ownership, safety education and leadership if we to curb this problem. “Niwabine said.
He further said that, leadership has allowed manipulation and enforcement problem that has persisted over time and people just criticized the players in the industry.
The police’s traffic Director also revealed that of the total death for the period, 669 are youths under 17 years and of those 361 are males and 308 females. Between the age of 18-45, 1,822 translates into 72.5% road crash death were males and only 420 females.
Mr. Niwabine said that the solution should be focusing on data driven enforcement, designing road safety and support in automation and physical support as well as increased awareness campaigns.
Uganda National Road’s Authority (UNRA) Executive Director Allen Kagina said that the motorists don’t have road discipline as they violet the traffic regulations deliberately while other people vandalize the road signs and others construct structures in the road reserves and these vices have also influenced road crashes.
Kagina while addressing stake holders at the launch of the National Road safety week, implored every stake holder to thick soberly and start acting now so as to be able to combat the rampant road crashes that have claims the lives of many people annually.
By George Bukenya