-- I
COMPENDIUM OF PAPERS
Prepared by
Institute of Transport Economics
Norwegian center for transport research
Economic Commission for Africa Joint ECA/Nordic Countries
First African Road Safety Congress
Nairobi, Kenya, 27 - 30 August 1984
United NationsCOMPENDIUM OF PAPERS
Prepared bV
Institute of Transport Economics
Norwegh'Jf1 center fortransport research
In an effort to combat this manace on our highways and streets, the Economic Conunission for Africa, jointly with Nordic countries, and in collaboration with the World Health Or9anization, the World Bank and a number of other agencies organized the first African Road Safety Congress in August 1984, and convened it in Nairobi with the help of the Government of Kenya. At the end of the Congress, there was an overwhelmin9 participant request to publish a compendium of the technical papers presented at the Congress.
I am indebted to all those who prepared and presented quality papers on their road safety activities and experiences, especially experience in Africa. I am of courSe grateful to all those who helped make the first Congress a success, especially the Governments of Norway and Finland, who~ in addition to technical
assistance in the form of expert lectures, also provided funds for the publication of this Compendium of the Joint ECA/Nordic Countries FIRST AFRICAN ROAD SAFETY CONGRESS.
May I wish your all s,fe Drivin9!
-.---"
Adebayo Adedeji Under Secretary General of theand
United Nations
Executive Secretary
of the Economic Commission for Africa
v
CONTENTS
FOREWORD Hi
LIST OF CONTENTS v
GENERAL INTRODUCTION:
The Current Situation and Problems of Road Safety in Africa xi H. Lauridsen and R. Muskaug, Institute of Transport
Economics, Norway INTRODUCTION:
1
2
The Congress and the Compendium of Papers O. 1
OPENING OF THE CONGRESS 1 • 1
o Opening Speech by Hon. Peter H. Okondo, M.P. Kenya's
Minister for Transport and Communications 1.3 o Statement by Professor Adebayo Adedeji, United Nations
Under-SecretarY-General and Executive Secretary of the
Economic Commission for Africa 1.7
o Speech by Mr L Nilles, President of PRI - La Prevention
Routiere Internationale 1.12
o Statement by Mr Karl Sicking, International Road
Federation 1.14
ROAD SAFETY PROBLEMS IN AFRICA 2.1
2.1 General Statements 2.1
o Road Safety in the Countries of Africa: An Overview.
J S Yerrel, TRRL 2.3
o Accidentologie routiere et Sante Publique:
Proposition pour une politique de controle.
Dr J C Romer, Organisation mondiale de la sante 2.17
0 Address by Mr P E Fossberg, World Bank 2.25
0 Introduction to the African Highway Code, ECA 2.28
0 Presentation du Code de la Route Africain, CEA
0 An international initiative for the prevention of avoidable disablement
Mrs M Wells, IMPACT 2.41
o
o o
Road Accidents as a Kenyan Problem and the Role of the National Road Safety Council
Mr. D.E.M. Mwasi, Chairman, National Road Safety Council of Kenya
Kenya - Finland Road Safety Project Mr M J Roth, VIATEK
Road and Traffic Engineering Component in Kenya's Road Safety Programme
S M Kiguru, Chief Engineer (Roads & Aerodromes) Ministry of Transport and Communications, Kenya 2.3 Road Safety Work in other Countries
o Road Safety in Developing Countries: an Analysis of Problems and Prospects for Road Safety Measures Krister Spolander (VTI), G6sta Karlsson (SweRoad) and Stig Grahn (SWECO)
2.52
2.57 2.63
Presented by Karl Sicking, SweRoad 2.65 o Road Safety Programme in Botswana and Zimbabwe
Karl Sicking, SweRoad 2.67
o Norwegian Traffic Safety Efforts Aimed at Developing Countries
Henning Lauridsen, Institute of Transport
Economics, Norway 2.70
o Road Safety in the People's Republic of China The Traffic Safety Delegation Of the Peoples
Republic of China 2.77
o Road Safety in Ethiopia
Com. Zewdu Gebremarlam, General Manager,
Road Transport Authority of Ethiopia 2.79 o Statement by Uganda Delegation
Uganda National Road Safety Council 2.81 o Review of Road Safety in Botswana
National Road Safety Committee, Ministry of
Works & Communications, Botswana 2.82
3
4
5
vii
FINANCING OF ROAD SAFETY MEASURES o Introduction
Mr P E Fossberg, World Bank
o The Economic Cost to Society of Motor Vehicle Accidents, ECA
o Les incidences economiques des accidents automobiles pour la societe, CEA
THE HEALTH ASPECTS OF ROAD ACCIDENTS
ROAD SAFETY ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS IN THE INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES
5.1 Traffic Safety in Europe
o Road Traffic Safety in the Region of the Economic Commission for Europe
Message of Mr. Duquesne, Director,
3.1
3.14 4.1
5.1
Transport Division, Economic Commission for Europe 5.3 o Traffic Accident Situation in Norway
Gunnar Slagnes, Public Roads Administration, Norway 5.6 o Danish Know-how on Road Safety in General and 1n
Co-operation with the Nordic Road Association H.K. Hansen, M. Sc., Head of DiviSion, The Road
Directorate, Ministry of Transport, Denmark 5.11 o Highways through Towns-Roads with Environmental
Priority
Mr. K1ldebogaard, The Road Directorate,
Min1stry of Transport, Denmark 5.24
o The Road Safety Programme 1984 of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany
Dr Hans-Juergen Froboese, Ministry of Transport 5.25 5.2 Effective Nordic Action against Abusive Use of Alcohol:
The Effect of Drinking on Driving and the Impact
of Countermeasures 5.35
o The Efficiacy of Measures against Drunken Driving in Finland (1975 - 1981)
Martti Maki, LIIKENNETURVA, Central Organization
for Traffic Safety in Finland 5.37
6
Richard Muskaug, Institute of Transport Economies, Norway
5.3 Highway Safety in the Americas
o Classification of Motor Vehicle Traffic Accidents in the U.S.A.
Economic Commission for Africa
o Classification des accidents de la route aux Etats-Unis
o o
International Forum on Traffic Records Systems Economic Commission for Africa
Tribune internationale sur les systemes
d'etablissement de rapports statistiques relatifs
a
1a circulationCommission economique pour l'Afrique
5.~ Transfer of Technology and Techniques to Africa o
o
Technology Transfer for Effective Road Safety Programs in Developing Countries
William C. Grenke, Technical Services Director, Roy Jorgensen Associates, Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.A.
Traffic Safety in Denmark in Relation to Traffic Safety in Developing Countries
S.H. Sloth, M.Sc. Danroad Systems, Ole Bach, M.Sc., Ph.D. Cowiconsult, Consulting Engineers and Planners AS
o The Saving of Children's Lives on the Road Project Highway Safety Administration, Ministry of
5.55
5.57 5.58
5.60 5.61
5.63
Transport, Israel 5.86
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 6.1 Accident Recording
o Design of Traffic Accident Recording System Finn Blakstad, Norwegian Institute of Technology o A Microcomputer Road Accident Analysis Package for
Developing Countries
B L Hills, Overseas Unit, TRRL, Crowthorne and
6.1 6.1 6.3
M Kassabgi, Central Traffic Department, Cairo 6.15
ix
o The Co-ordinated Accident Statistics Michael Schroeder, Road Directorate, Ministry of Transport, Denmark
o o
The Road Accident Statistics in Africa Economic Commission for Africa
Les statistiques relatives aux accidents de la circulation en Afrique
Commission economique pour l'Afrique 6.2 Police Enforcement
o Selective Traffic Enforcement as Relates to Accident Investigation Programme in Kenya S.K. Raval, Commandant, Kenya Police Traffic Department
6.3 Education and Training
o Road Accidents and Traffic Safety of Children Richard Muskaug, Institute of Transport Economics, Norway
o The Current Status of the Road Safety Education Programme in Kenya
P. H. A. Ogula, Kenya Institute of Education 6.4 Low-Cost Highway Engineering Measures
o Traffic Accident Reduction through Inexpensive Physical Means
Gunnar Slagnes, Public Roads Administration, Norway
6.5 National Road Safety PoliCY
o The Impact of Alternative National Traffic Safety Policies - A Methodological Approach
Richard Muskaug, Institute of Transport Economics, Norway
6.6 Other Contributions
o Theory of Road Traffic Accidents G. S. Agoki, University of Nairobi
o Road Safety: Issues and Oppurtunities for ActIon United Nations Environment Programme
6.39 6.41
6.65 6.87
6.89 6.109
6.111
6.123 6.127
6.129 6.147
6.149 6.163 6.165 6.170
o Report of the Working Group on Financing of Road
Safety Measures 7.3
o Report of the Working Group on the Health Aspect
of Road Accidents 7.7
o Report of the Working Group on Road Safety
Aotivities in Industrialized Countries 7.9 o Report of the Working Group on Research and
Development 7.10
o Assessment of the Congress 7.13
o Recommendations of the Congress 7.14
8 CLOSURE OF THE CONGRESS 8.1
ANNEXES
1: Provisional Agenda
2: Annotated Provisional Agenda 3: List of Partioipants
xi
GENERAL INTRODUCTION:
THE CURRENT SITUATION AND PROBLEMS OF ROAD SAFETY IN AFRICA
Henning Lauridsen and Riohard Muskaug, Institute of Transport Eoonomios, Norway
Road aooidents are a rapidly inoreasing problem in Afrioa. Death, disable- ment and human suffering are the menaOing direct effects of this develop- ment whioh in addition consumes scarce economic resources and foreign exchange required for other and better purposes.
Until recently road traffic accidents were considered as a problem con- nected to the industrialized countries with their high rates of motorisa- tion. The acknowledgement that developing countries also are facing serious problems in this respect is relatively new. Whereas industrialized countries have been able to reverse the rising trend through systematic countermeasures, African countries now experience a rapid increase in road accidents.
Most countries in Africa are in the first stage of motorisation. The number of cars varies from country to country, mostly within the range of 5 to 50 vehicles per 1000 inhabitants. The corresponding figures in the industrialized countries are also varying, with an upper limit of 500, i.e.
ten times higher. With the increasing number of vehicles several African countries may enter the second stage of motorisation characterized by a rapid development of vehicle ownership.
In the industrialized countries, the fatality rates grew almost parallel to the increase in car ownership during the first two phases of motorisa- tion. Only when they entered the third phase, saturation, and co-ordinated safety actions were initiated. fatality rates started to decrease. They have now been reduced to 3-5 fatal accidents per 10 000 vehicles per year (the Nordic countries, UK and USA). In Africa the corresponding fatality rates are presently more than 10 times higher.
Road accidents have become the second most important cause of death following enteritiS, and is thereby a major health problem and an important economic and social factor in most developing countries. This is cause for serious concern and i t is particularly worrying that whereas fatality rates in most industrialized countries are decreasing, those in developing countries are increasing. Only strong and co-ordinated remedial actions can change this development which otherwise continues until vehicle ownership in African countries reaches the saturation stage.
Southern Africa has revealed fatality rates varying from 32 to 12q deaths per 10,000 vehicles in 1983. Previous studies indicate even higher fig- ures, namely up to 240 deaths per 10,000 vehicles (Nigeria, 1978). The analysis also revealed that the number of deaths caused by road accidents in 1983 varied between 4 and 28 per 100,000 inhabitants in the nine countries.
The analysis of road accidents in the nine African countries also included a comparison with the Nordic countries. which experience low accidents rates compared to other industrialized countries. The number of deaths per 10,000 vehicles were in the range of 2.4 to 4.1 in the Nordic countries in 1983. The comparison between the 9 African countries and the 4 Nordic countries show that the number of deaths per 10,000 vehicles were 10-15
times higher in the African countries.
The number of deaths caused by road accidents per 100,000 inhabitants were of the same order of magnitude, namely 4-28 in the African countries and 9-
13 in the Nordic countries. This must be seen against the fact that the number of vehicles per 1000 inhabitants varied from 3 to 67 in the African countries and from 320 to 389 in the Nordic countries.
The above figures are well in accordance with other studies which have shown that countries with high vehicle-ownership have low accident rates per vehicle and vice versa. This is true whether one regards African coun- tries or industrialized countries. The following figure illustrates this for the countries in Eastern and Southern Africa (1983) and a large number of other developing countries (1978).
12 100
50
Deaths per 10,000 vehicles
Kdh,dl 10000 vehicles
,
,';1oz 82 ,'ZamS3
\
\
\
\
\
\
\, , -Les83
\
·Ma182
,
,Ton in '''-,
xiii
" 'Bol63 ,SwaB3
... 't\.. ... --_tf1m 83 D .. to!l :'-01"
_ UX'I j n f ;
- - . 0 - _ --.0- __ - 0 - _
L 16 2b 3b 4'0
~o 60 I 70 I Vehicles per Source 1983 figures: T Vaaje, Institute~conomics, Norway ,
1000 inh of Transport Source 1978 figures: G D Jacobs, Transport and Road
Research Laboratory, UK
The above is a purely statistical relationship and does not imply causali- ty. It must not be assumed that increased vehicle ownership will automati- cally make a country follow a declining path of fatality rate as though obeying some physical law. On the contrary a declining accident rate will only occur as a result of a strong action to combat road accidents.
Economic Costs of Road Traffic Accidents
There are different ways of assessing the costs of road accidents. Most methods vary in the way they treat the creation and consumption of goods by victims of accidents, and whether they include a notional value to cover pain, grief and suffering. Economic costs of road traffic accidents are usually estimated at approximately 1 per cent of the Gross National Product (GNP). A newer approach applied 1n Kenya estimate a somewhat higher level, namely 2-3 per cent of the GNP.
Parallel to the attempt to estimate the costs of accidents one should bear in mind that road accidents involve a high proportion of the mest educated people. This is partly because a very high proportion of the accidents occur in the central area of towns and cities, and partly because car ownership and use is higher for this group. Car drivers and passengers account for nearly half of the fatalities.
Road Traffic Accidents and Medical Resources
The fatality index, i.e. the proportion of all accidents which result in death depends on the medical facilities in the country. Proper medical care can often prevent the victim of a road accident from dying. Studies have shown that victims of road traffic accidents occupy a high proportion of hospital beds and medical staff time, otherwise strongly needed for gene- ral health service. Figures from Kenya indicate that 5 per cent of the patient-days in hospitals in Nairobi were taken up with road accident cases. Information frOm several African countries indicate that 25-30% of the operating capacity may be taken up by road accident victims.
The Road Safety Problem is Different from one Country to another
In looking at the road accident problems one must not forget the wide diversity of conditions in Africa. We see countries ranging in area from the Sudan (2,505,800 square kilometres) to the Gambia (11,300 square kilo- metres), in populations ranging from Nigeria (90 million) to the Gambia
(approximately 0.6 million), in gross national product per capita ranging from Botswana (US dollars 1140) to Ethiopia (US dollars 150), and in road provision from Zimbabwe (11.6 kilometres per 1,000 inhabitants) to the Sudan (0.8 kilometres per 1,000). We have countries with a mortality ranging from slightly above 30 killed per 10,000 vehicles in Zimbabwe to 240 in Nigeria. By comparison, the industrialized countries are uniform.
Statistics show that fatality rates and casualty rates in Africa are high, in comparison with the industrialized countries, and the relative serious- ness of aocidents is made worse by poorer medical facilities. The vehicles and groups of road users involved differ considerably. The table below shows the percentage of fatalities among different road users of 3 African countries with Indonesia and Norway included for comparison.
Pedestrians MlC and Drivers and Country & cyclists scooters passengers
Ethiopia (76) 85 1 13
Swaziland (83) 46 4 50
Zambia (83) 51 3 46
Indonesia (77) 22 34 44
Norway (83) 32 10 58
The figures for drivers and passengers cover all motorized vehicles, which in Africa comprize a high percentage of freight and public transport vehi- cles. They also include vehicle types unknown or not commonly used in the
xv
industrialized oountries, suoh as the matatu and lorries used to carry passengers in large numbers.
The road traffic safety situation in Afrioa does at the moment seem rather bleak. The accident trends are disoouraging and only very limited re- souroes have yet been made available for road safety work. However, the bright side of such a picture is that there is a large potential for relatively simple and inexpensive safety measures whioh can be introduoed and effectively improve the situation.
National uniqueness, and the different oonditions within Africa, point to the need for mobilisation at the national level. The establishment of national road safety oounoils oan provide a basis for oollecting data and for rational road safety work, e.g. by trying oountermeasures on a small scale and moni tor them before making large scale investments. Although countries oan learn from eaoh other, this does oertainly not reduce the need for eaoh oountry to examine its problems oomprehensively and assess its national priorities.
PRESENT PROBLEMS
A review of the present situation as to road safety in Africa reveals that problems are found within most areas of road safety work. Below follows a review of the main problem areas.
Road Safety Organisation
Road safety work includes a wide variety of activities. There is normally a number of oentral and local authorities and private organisations whioh are dealing with various sectors of road safety. However, these organisa- tions have not road safety as the main goal for their activity. Some of the most important organisations are:
Ministry of Transport and Communioations Public Roads Authority
Ministry of Home Affairs/Police Ministry of Education
Ministry of Public Health Ministry of Information Drivers ASSOCiation
Association of Insuranoe Companies Motor Vehiole Traders
011 Companies
Road safety work obviously calls for proper co-ordination to beoome effi- cient. It is therefore required to establish a national oo-ordinating body where the various organisations conoerned are represented. This usually takes the f01"11l of a national road safety board. whioh again requires a secretariat or national road safety authority to be able to initiate and monitor road safety. The aim of the national body should be:
To co-ordinate the activities of different authorities and har- monize the work to obtain the best results
To prepare programmes and plans for improving road safety which cover the various sectors to secure that the most efficient acti- vities are given priorities.
Many countries in Africa have already established national road safety boards. However, generally it appears as serious problems that such boards have shortage of funds or lack of power to initiate co-ordinated actions against road aCCidents.
Some countries have alreedy established a sound institutional framework for road safety and allocated SUfficient resources to initiate a better co- ordinated combat against road accidents. Botswana and Kenya are good examples in this context.
Accident Recording and Statistics
All efforts to increase safety on roads have to be based on knowledge and experience. Data and statistics about road aCCidents are therefore essen- tial and necessary to satisfy the following requirements:
To describe the road safety situation with respect to the nature of the road safety problem and change over time
To define factors which contribute to accidents and to define the appropriate remedial measures
To give priority to problems and type of countermeasures
To define and evaluate the effects of various measures and safety programmes and continuously follow the progress as to road safety However, accident data and statistics alone are not sufficient for more advanced studies. It is necessary to combine accident data with other types of data to understand the nature of the road safety problem and to select the appropriate countermeasures. Such other data are data about the road and the enVironment, the amount and nature of the traffic flow, the driver population and about the vehicles in use. These data are often called exposure data or structural data.
It appears that in most African countries neither the accident statistics nor statistics on exposure data or structural data presently contain all the necessary elements to serve as an efficient tool in future road safety
xvii
work. On the other hand the accident reporting of the police usually gives a comprehensive description of accidents. The main problem may therefore be better utilization of existing basic data, i.e. establishing of acci- dent recording and information systems directly aimed at accident preven- tion.
Legislation
Road traffic is an extremely complicated system. It is therefore of great importance that the legal regulations of this system are as complete as possible. The legislation usually comprizes a road traffic act with subsi- diary regulations on e.g. signs, signals and markings, penalties, speed limits, overloading, construction, registration and use of vehicles and driving license and driver training.
Most countries have a fairly comprehensive basic legislation, although there might be a need for harmonization and updating, e.g. based on the Vienna Conventions to which only few countries in Africa have acceded. This has proved to be the case in the Southern Africa sub-region where nine countries now are in the process of harmonizing their road traffiC laws and regulations.
Enforcement
Police enforcement is only possible and meaningful if the laws and regu- lations are adequate and known by the road users. On the other hand the law only has an effect if it is enforced.
Enforcement is often, and for many reasons a weak link in the traffic safety work in Africa:
The traffic police force is small
Much time is spent on reporting accidents
The same police officers are involved in vehicle inspection
Control equipment like radar and breath/blood-analysers are not generally available
Traffic control leads to much paperwork Training of police officers is poor
Again it should be kept in mind that there are large differences between the countries in Africa also as to enforcement.
technical requirements for new vehioles
technical oontrol of new and modified vehicles control of vehioles involved in accidents periodic control of vehicles
random spot check of vehicles
control and approval of vehicle repair shops technical control of new and modified vehioles
Even if some or all of the above aspects are covered adequately by the legislation, the present activity in this field seems to be quite low in many oountries in Africa. The density of testing stations varies, and the laok of such stations oonstitutes a serious obstaole to an effioient and reliable vehiole testing system.
Shortage of teohnioal personnel for vehiole testing is a general problem in many oountries. The faot that qualified testers normally are good meoha- nios and therefore often are tempted by higher wages offered in private repair shops oontributes to this problem.
The soarcity or the high cost of spare parts in some countries do, of course, constitute important limitations as to the possibilities for im- proving the safety standard of vehicles.
Road Infrastructure
Road safety is closely linked to the standard of the road network. At present the quality of roads varies very much among countries in Afrioa and within each country. From a safety point of view, however, it appears that the standard of roads generally is fairly low. A particular problem is the high percentage of pedestrians and in some cases also bicyles whioh use the same carriageway as motorized traffic. Even where there is sufficient space, physical segregation between the various road users is not commonly used, due to limited financial resources. This constitutes a very serious problem in urban areas and causes in combination with overloading, high speed and inadequate technical standard of vehicles a high number of acoi- dents.
In rural areas there is a great variety in road standard. Even the newer roads that are built to a high standard are often rapidly deteriorating due to insufficient maintenance. This leads in turn to exoessive wear and tear of vehicles, in particular buses and heavy lorries.
A special problem connected to the road network is that road authorities in most countries in Africa are not fully aware of where road traffio aoci- dents occur. This is due to the deficiencies in accident reporting systems
xix
which in many cases do not include any systematic registration of accident location and transfer of such information to the road authorities. This constitutes a serious problem and impedes rapid improvement of the safety standard of roads.
Drunken Driving
To refer accident causation to one specific factor is questionable and subject to criticism. It 1s, however, well known that alcohol is one of the most critical factors affecting behaviour in road traffic. In many countries high blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) are found in 30-50 per cent of people involved in fatal road accidents. Studies in Norway show that a driver's risk of being involved in a fatal accident is multiplied by more than one hundred when his BAC level is higher than 100 mgiml alcohol in the blood.
In addition to drivers, there are other road users who are experiencing a problem with respect to the impairing effect of alcohol. Pedestrians and bicyclists represent another potential problem group of road users.
Many countries spend a great deal of time and money in quest of solutions concerning the problem of impaired driving. A number of countermeasure programmes have been introduced to reduce the problem. However, there are only few examples where such programmes have been evaluated and proved effective. The actions taken to fight drunken driving include amendments to the laws, changes in detection teChniques, better enforoement, infor- mation and rehabilitation programmes.
The general attitude towards aloohol varies between African countries. The effect of alcohol on road aooidents does, however, not follow any political or religious borders, and there is reason to believe that this constitutes a serious problem in most countries.
Education and Training
Traffio acoidents occur through interaotion between the road user, the enVironment and the vehiole. Human faotors are crucial in acoident causation and countermeasures must take these faotors into account.
Traffio education and training are therefore important elements in the combat against road acoidents. It should include education of ohildren, training of specific groups of road users and safety campaigns aimed at all road users.
Studies in industrialized countries have shown that traffic education of children is extremely diffioult, due to their limited physical and mental oapacity. The quality of the teaching material is therefore essential. In most African oountries there is a shortage of such written material to assist the teacher. Most countries have traffio education 1n schools. With the low emphaSis put on traffic safety work in general, there are, however, reasons to believe that there is ample room for improvement.
CONCLUSIONS
Road traffic accidents appear as an increasingly serious problem which now is approaching crisis proportions in Africa. The number of deaths caused by road accidents have reached the same level relative to population as in industrialized countries with a tenfold higher motorisation rate. Economic costs are estimated at 1-2 per cent of the gross national product and road accidents now constitute a very serious health problem.
The dimensions of the problem is now being acknowledged and efforts are being made all over the continent to meet this menace. There is also a growing awareness of the problem in the international community which might contribute to road safety work in Africa by transfer of knowledge and other resources. This First African Road Safety Congress is an indication of this.
The review of problems reveals that only very limited resources have been available for road safety work in the past, and that there is a need for institutional strengthening in order to be able to address the complexity of the problem. The establishing of a national co-ordinating body with a secretariat appears as a crucial first step in this direction. This is required in order to co-ordinate road safety work as well as to initiate and monitor countermeasures.
Due to the present shortage of knowledge about accidents and their causes, it is of particular importance to establish an efficient accident record- ing and information system. Road safety work has to be based on knowledge about accidents and on exposure data and structural data. This will make it possible to describe the magnitude and the nature of the road safety problem, the change over time and the distribution on types of accident.
Such data are necessary to find accident creating factors and situations, to select appropriate countermeasures and to evaluate the effect and the cost-effectiveness of different actions.
Despite the fact that countries in Africa are different and experience different road safety problems, there are good reasons for co-operation.
This has proved successful in the industrialized world both at the regional and sub-regional level. The present shortage of qualified personnel for road safety work can to some extent be overcome by joining resources, e.g.
on the sub-regional level. Such co-operation shOUld include information and research centres which could playa role also in training of personnel.
o. ,
Introduction
0.3
THE CONGRESS AND THE COMPENDIUM OF PAPERS
The first African Road Safety Congress which was jointly organized by ECA and the Nordic countries was held at the Kenyatta Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya from 21 to 30 August, 1984.
The meeting was attended by the following African and other countries:
Benin, Botswana, Republic of Cameroon, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, the People's Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, the Niger, Rwanda, the Sudan, Swaziland, Tunisia, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zaire and Zambia, China, Denmark, Finland, the Federal Republic of Germany, India, Italy, LUXemburg, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America as well as by the following organizations and institutions: Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI), the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD), the National Safety Council (NRSC) of Kenya, the Transport and Research Laboratory (TRRL) of the United Kingdom, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO). The full list of participants appears as Annex 3.
The Congress unanimously elected the following officers:
Chairman:
First Vice-Chairman:
Second Vice-Chairman:
Rapporteur:
Kenya Tunisia
Cote d'Ivoire Malawi
The meeting adopted the agenda as presented in Annex 1. The annotated provisional agenda appears as Annex 2.
The Compendium of Papers has been edited in accordance with the agenda of the meeting. Following this introduction all speeches and statements of the opening session appear in Part 1, Opening of the Congress.
Papers on road safety problems in Africa follow in Part 2 of the Compen- dium, which has been divided into three sections including respectively general statements, the Kenya experience and road safety work in other countries.
Part 3 of the Compendium comprises papers on financing of road safety measures, whereas Part 4 reflects the discussions concerning the health aspects of road accidents.
Road safety activities and resultas in the industrialized countries are described in Part 5 of the Compendium. This has been divided into four sections, namely traffic safety in Europe, effective Nordic action against abUSive use of alcohol, highway safety in the Americas and transfer of
technology and techniques to Africa.
Part 7 of the Compendium inoludes the reports of the four working groups of the Congress as well as the assessment and recommendations of the Congress.
Finally the closing statement appears as Part 8 of the Compendium.
1.1
1. Opening of the Congress
1.3
OPENING SPEECH BY HON. PETER H. OKONDO, M.P. KENYA'S MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
Your Excellency, Professor Adebayo Adedeji, United Nations under Secretary General and Executive Secretary of E.C.A., distinguished Representatives of National and International Organizations, distinguished Delegates.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
I am pleased to have been invited to open officially the first African Road Safety Congress now commenced in this great hall, and to share with you my thoughts on the subject as you embark on detailed deliberations and various matters related to road safety in developing Africa.
It is appreciated that transportation is an integral part of the func- tioning of society, irrespective of its level of development. It exhibits a very close relationship to the style of life, the range and location of productive and leisure activities, and the goods and services which will be available for consumption. It is therefore essential that transportation service of adequate quality and capacity be provided. However, the provi- sion of transportation, like the provision of almost any other material good or service, carries with it many side effects. Some of the most disturbing by-products of transportation are pain, damage to property, injuries and loss of life brought about by unsafe acts and unsafe events in our transportation systems. Your being here is a true testament to the great concern which, you and the organizations you represent, show for these unintended by-products of transportation. You are all motivated by, among other things, tremendous interest in improving safety on the roads of Africa.
Distinguished Representatives and Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We in Kenya have in the past experienced more than our fair share of road traffic accidents. Comparative figures indicate that both the rate and severity of accidents in this country were on the increase during the last decade.
Accident reports show that fatal accidents constituted 11 to 15 per cent of the total number of accidents reported as opposed to 2 per cent in some developed countries. In terms of absolute figures, the aggregate incidence of accidents rose from 5163 in 1970 to 8023 in 1983. The number of fatali- ties increased from 944 in 1970 to 1514 in 1983.
But what do these figures portray? Most people view and accident in an abstract sense without being able to relate it to themselves thus creating an attitude, "it could not happen to me". The message of how serious accidents are, only seems to sink very solidly and firmly when one loses a dear friend or a relative 1"0 when one is personally involved in an accident and escapes with serious injuries. This is obviously the wrong way of looking at accidents.
Since most people are interested in, and will likely try to understand the language of money. I think it may very well be a good idea to correlate
mean the damage and/or loss of goods carried. For non-fatal injury acci- dents, in addition to the above losses, we must add the hospital expenses and the loss of production when the victim is bedridden. A fatal accident is the most expensive. In addition to all the above expenses, a life or lives are lost for good.
It has been estimated that, if the current trend is allowed to continue, Kenya will lose a total of one billion shillings per year and over 400 million shillings in property damage per year. This monetary loss, coupled with the human pain and grief to the citizens calls for much goverment concern. However, concern and indignation are not enough. The concern must be accompanied by a conscious and concerted effort on mounting and execut- ing a well-designed, coordinated and financed programme of accident coun- termeasure activities directed to mann the vehicle and the environment, if we are to expect any decline in the number and severity of accidents. This dawned on us in the year 1979 when it was decided that concrete steps be taken to check the growing drain on both human and material resources which continued despite the past uncoordinated and underfinanced programmes.
Distinguished Representatives and Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me now to dwell for a few moments on the steps that we have so far taken with a view to improving the road safety situation in this country.
It became apparent from the very start that a prerequisite to the implemen- tation of a well designed countermeasures was a detailed study of' the road safety situation in the country with an inventory of the shortcomings to form a basis for drawing up a detailed programme. Consequently, the Govern- ment of Kenya, with the assistance of the Government of Finland, commissio- ned a study whose first phase detailed the prevailing situation and the second phase drew up an improvement programme encompassing all countermea- sure proposals. The first phase of the study was completed in 1980 and the programme of countermeasures was drawn up in 1981.
One of the study proposals was that an organization to handle the day to day road safety matters be established. Towards this end, the Kenya Govern- ment established in 1982 the National Road Safety Council and a Road Safety Unit under the Ministry of Transport and Communications. In addition to advising the Minister of Transport and Communications on all matters rela- ting to road safety, the National Road Safety Concil has the task of setting out the goals and objectives of the road safety work; the co- ordination not only of all the organizations involved in the promotion of road safety; but also the road safety work, taking into account the inte- rests of this society, the road user groups, trade and industry, indivi- duals as well as the enVironmental aspects of the roads. The Council is also responsible for drawing up a long-term programme for the improvement of road safety and to supervise its implementation.
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Sinoe its establishment, the National Road Safety Council has initiated programmes and studies and made recommendations on various road safety issues. Some of the programmes and reoommendations have already been comp- leted but most of them are a oontinuous exercise which will go on for several years. The most important aohievements of the Council so far can be summarized as follows:
Firstly, in the field of information, road safety programmes are broad- oast on the radio on the weekly basis and also television has had its share. A major road safety oampaign will be arranged by the Counoil in the near future in the form of road safety week.
Seoondly, the traffic department of the Kenya Polioe has been a very aotive member of the Council and legislation has been drafted, approved and implemented in cooperation with the police. The Council also oarried out an accident investigation projeot with the polioe and the Nairobi City Commission.
Thirdly, among the various studies carried out under the auspices of the Counoil were those on hazardous road looations, speed limits, and aocident oosts. The Counoil has also devised a comprehensive programme on how to develop road safety in Kenya, both in the long and short term and what kind of personnel resouroes and training will be needed.
Fourthly, in the field of eduoation, road safety olubs have been set up in the schools and road safety education has also been included in the ourrioulum of primary and seoondary sohools and the teaching material has been prepared by the Ministry of Eduoation.
Fifthly, the Counoil also initiated and carried out the construotion of ohildren traffio park in Nairobi. The park will provide faoili- ties to acquaint children with traffio regulations, demonstrate prober behaviour in modern traffio and allow children an oppor- tuni ty to praotioe suoh traffio rules under the guidanoe of experienced personnel. Let us hope that our ohildren will be better and more polite partioipants in this area than our gene- ration.
Distinguished Representatives and Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is too early to assess the suooess of the Road Safety Programme in Kenya but our target is to reduoe the annual death toll on our roads to no more than a three-digit figure by the year 1993. The National Road Safety Council has estimated that some 90 million Kenya shillings will be needed during the next 5 years to aohieve this target. On the other hand, if the outcome is what we expeot, then every shilling put in the programme will give us the return of 12 shillings in reduoed eoonomic losses. By any standards this oan be regarded as a very favourable oost/benefit ratio.
Distinguished Representatives and Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I trust that you will have useful disoussions on the Road Safety Programmes of various oountries and that this oongress will be an ideal medium for exohanging road safety researoh data, professional knowledge and experien-
this congress will generate familiarity among the delgates and pave the way for the second African Road Safety Congress.
I now wish to take this opportunity to thank the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, where, for your interest, Mr. Executive Secretary, I was the first Head of Transport Development Section in 1964 in Addis Ababa.
I also thank the Nordic Countries, especially Finland, and other national and international organizations for their part in organizing this impor- tant congress. Further, I would like to thank those officials of the Kenya Government who partiCipated in the organization of the congress. Needless to state, without the input of all those involved in one way or the other in the organizational aspect, it would not have been possible to convene the congress.
I note that your programme includes excursions which should prove a useful break from your routine deliberations and give you an opportunity to see some of our road safety activities. Should you find time after the cong- ress, I urge you all to try to visit the very many touristic attractions that Kenya offers and afford yourselves the opportunity to meet our people in the countryside. I wish your all a successful first African Road Safety Congress and an enjoyable and 'memorable stay in Kenya.
On this note, distinguished representatives and delegates, it is now my greatest pleasure to declare the first African Road Safety Congress offi- cially open.
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STATEMENT BY PROFESSOR ADEBAYO ADEDEJI, UNITED NATIONS UNDER-SECRETARY- GENERAL AND EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE ECONOMIC COMMMISSION FOR AFRICA
It is a pleasure and indeed a unique privilege for me to weloome you all to this First Afrioan Road Safety Congress, organized by the Eoonomio Comis- sion for Africa in Collaboration with the Governments of Nordic countries, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the UK Transport and Road Research Laboratory, and of course the Host Government of Kenya. I take this opportunity to convey to H.E. President Daniel Arap Moi, and the Government and People of the Republic of Kenya, my heart-felt gratitude for making it possible for us to convene this pioneering Congress in this beautiful city of Nairobi, and for the hospitality and courtesy extended to all of us since our arrival here. I do want to extend my thanks to FINNIDA and NORAD, and through them to their respective Governments of Finland and Norway for the financial support that enabled many African delegations, especially those from Least-Developed Coutries, to partiCipate at this Congress.
The primary purpose of this first road safety Congress is to make Africa aware of the hazards of road accident fatalities and injuries, and property damage estimated to oost between 1 and 2 per cent of GNP in Africa. I am happy to see WHO and the World Bank, and TRR and Nordic Countries joining hands 1n the fight against these unnecessary and actually avoidable deaths, and damage to persons and property on our highways and streets. It is a clear indication that by concerted action international organization and friendly governments are ready to demonstrate that, as has been done elsewhere, the trend of the increasing rate of traffic accidents can be checked and reversed in Africa, provided of course, African Governments and institutions are prepared to make firm commitments to initiate and implement concrete highway safety programme.
If I may have your indulgence to quickly review the Programme of Work before us, the first substantive item on the agenda is a review of road safety programmes and achievements in Africa, with special focus on traf-
fic safety activities and results here in Kenya. It was no accident that Nairobi was selected as the venue of this milestone Congress. Kenya, like many rapidly developing countries, is experienCing more than its share of road accidents. But Kenya is also a prime example of a nation that has taken stock of the increasing problem of highway accidents, and resolutlty elected to take counter-measures: It has established its National Road Safety Council, has embarked upon specific traffic studies of problem areas, and has negotiated and obtained international financing to supple- ment local resources in implementing safety measures. This is the message I would like to convey to the majority of African countries that may be unaware of the extent and nature of the damage caused by road traffic accidents: Establish a road safety council at the national level, identify critical problem areas, and approach international financial institutions to provide technical know-how and financial assistance for preventive mea- sures. In these days of international austerity, a definitive national commitment to road safety programmes would undoubtedly be a prerequisite for obtaining international aid.
This plenary session would also provide a glimpse at the sophisticated and highly refined accident preventive measures applied in the industrialized world, and the impressive safety records obtained. Later on in the congress there would be an opportunity to examine in depth whether and to what extent the technology and techniques employed in Europe and America are transferable to Africa.
Moving on to agenda item 5, we deal with a very pretinent item, the financing of road safety measures. Road accidents are a leading cause of death in the eoonomically aotive age groups and their eoonomio value in developed oountries is estimated to approach 2 per oent of GNP. Accident rates in developing countries are estimated to be 10 to 15 fold of those in industrialized countries, and the problem gets worse every day. The World Bank has taken an increasingly aotive role in financing the improvement of road safety measures as a component of highway sector loans and credits.
Already 10 African countries are benefiting from IBRD road safety program- mes in the form of technical and financial support to compliment local efforts. These safety components include a broad range of measures inolud- ing road design and traffio engineering sohemes in urban areas; highway legislation; traffic law enforoement; vehiole oondition inspeotion and improvement and oooupant restraint measures; road safety studies; and training and eduoation. Countries that have domonstrated genuine oommit- , ments ro road safety and are benefiting from the World Bank safety pro- gramme inolude Benin, Cameroon, Egypt, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, United Republic of Tanzania, Upper Volta and Tunisia. But the majority of Afrioan States are yet to take advantage of available inter- national financing and expertise in the fight against road aocidents.
Some, I dare say, are undoubtedly unaware of either the seriousness of problem, or if aware, are not informed of the existence of the reoent international interest in curbing road traffic accidents in Afrioa. The Workshop would examine in depth the prospects and limitations of inter- national finanoing of road safety measures, and thereby enhance the in- creased use of available international know-how and resources (as a comp- lement to national efforts), to oheck this ever-inoreasing oarnage on our highways.
Another very important theme of this Congress is the Health Aspect of Road Acoident covered under agenda item 6. The public health consequenoes of the increasing traffic accident situation are now considered very serious (in terms of medical resources used to treat road accident cases), and occupy up to 30 per cent of hospital surgical beds. Because traffiC accidents account for increases in the number of the disabled, and predominately in the younger generation, health authorities are exerting special efforts in the establishment of policies and strategies for controlling road accident hazards and minimizing their consequences.
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Health services, with a wealth of information and experience in the preven- tion of accidents and diseases can define and reach specially vulnerable groups such as children, old people and the handicapped; and carry out aspects of traffic education most effectively. Health services are also in a most opportune privileged position to collect data on accidents, requi- red to determine the nature and extent of the problem: data that is crucial in the formulation of preventive measures. Improvements in the traffic environment, coupled with advanced in emergency clinical care and trauma- tic surgery are resulting in the survival of more victims with consequences for provision of long-term care. Health staff have therefore an important part to play in identifying those human factors that lead to the occurrence of a road traffic accident.
Furthermore, a major contributor to traffic crashes and ensuing tragic consequences is abusive use of alcohol, where health staff would be the logical people to deal with alcohol, drug and other impaired-driving issues in this multidisciplinary approach to the problem.
These then are som of the reasons why a special workshop was designed for the health aspect of traffic accidents.
The third main feature of this Congress concerns traffic safety activities and achievements in the developed world.
Motor vehicle accidents are considered a leading cause of death in Europe and America, and the economic losses in some countries is determined to be staggering. Industrialized countries, as a direct result, have been able to arrest and reverse the increasing rate of road traffiC aCCidents; and, by constantly improving highway design standards, increasing public aware- ness of traffic hazards, establishing and practicing highway safety pro- grammes, enacting stringent legislation against drinking and driving, and enforCing the use of occupant protection measures, industrial nations have achieved a commendable and enviable measure of success in terms of lives saved and economic benefits addrued; and of course relief from intangibles that defy quantification, such as pain, suffering, disability and bereave- ment.
Although the high technology and the various techniques employed in in- dustrialized countries may be too sophisticated to adapt in Africa at the moment, the knowledge and experience is still valuable and aplicable in stages, or at "appropriate technOlogy" leveL For example, where proper equipment is not readily available in rural Africa to detect excess alcohol in the blood of a driver (and as you know abusive use of alcohol is a major traffic problem), simple observation of general behaviour, appearance, odor of breath, clarity of speech and general attitude could be usefully employed to identify and restrain problem drivers.
In addition to specific safety activities in the Nordic countries of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and their respective safety pro- grammes specifically designed for developing countries, the Congress will be able to consider classification of motor vehicle traffic accidents developed in the US and traffic safety work in the UK and France; and determine to what extent these pioneering works can be applied to the African enVironment and technological development.
any meaningful assault on the highly complex problem of road safety. A sound data system is essential for the development of a comprehensive and effective safety programme. Road traffic safety is essentially multidis- Ciplinary, and involves medical SCientists, engineers, psychologists, SOCiologists, economists and statisticians. The complexities of highway traffic accidents need to be explored and solutions sought collectively with a greater degree of co-ordinated involvement by a wide range of public service authorites. Programme development should envolve highway agencies, health services, the traffic police, education organizations and the media, for the benefit of all road users.
In the African setting, people in ever-increasing numbers and with greater number of vehicles are travelling more kilometres than ever before, and doing it at a faster average speed. The gravity of the growing number of crashes, injuries and deaths on our highways is just beginning to be felt, however, as evidenced by the fact that as yet only very few member States are seriously committed to traffic safety studies, notably data collection and analysiS to determine hazardous roadway locations, desirable speeds, suitable restraint systems, removal of road side obstacles, or appropriate legislation, to name only a few items. Research and development in road safety, although an indispensable component of the programme package in the fight against the worsening road safety sitUation, is still at the embryonic stage. I hope this Workshop will provide the opportunity to promote and improve African Governments' awareness of the gravity of the traffic problem we all face, and enhance research and development.
Finally under agenda item 9, the Congress will be able to review, in plenary, the work of the various workshops, and present concrete proposals for follow-up action.
Honourable delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In its effort to promote an efficient transportation system throughout Africa, the ECA, as lead agency of the UN Transportation and Communications Decade, aims at a complete transport system, a system not divided into compartmentalized subsectors, but made up of modal units harmonized and integrated to ensure optimWll benefits from their respective characteri- stics. There is no denying however that the practical realitites of Africa would demand the recognition of the dominant role road transport plays. The movement of persons and goods is expanding at an unprecedented pace, and road transport has borne by far the largest share of this increase. High- ways are flexible and versatile and roads are considered superior to alter- native in terms of reliability and practicability. But unlike rail, air and water transportation, which operate on pre-determined schedules on their
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own somewhat exclusive rights-of-way, and in conditions of very little traffic congestion, highway transportation is more hazardous and accident prone. This then is the raison d 'etre why my Commission has taken the initiative and, thanks to the many organizations and friendly nations of the industrialized world, and the host Government, has been able to launch this first Congress devoted exclusively to road safety. The outcome of this milestone Congress, and the future of road safety in Africa will depend, to a great extent on the Africa nations themselves, and the demanding and pioneering work that each African participant is expected to accomplish hereafter.
I wish you a most successful Congress.
Road Safety Congress in Africa.
Allow me first to briefly present our association which is velebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The International Road Safety Organisation count the national road aafety associations of 52 countries from the 5 continents as it members. PRI has consultative status at the United Nations Organiaation, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport and the
Council of Europe.
The aims of PRI are according to its statutes:
o to encourage cooperation among national organisations for the preven- tion of road accidents and to encourage the formation of such organisations in countries which do not have them;
o to promote, by all appropriate means, effective action to improve road safety, in particular by taking action in the fields of education, information and research;
To this end, the tasks of PRI are in particular the following:
o to ensure continuous exchange between the member organisations of experience, documents, propaganda aids and ideas;
o to define and to study common problems relating to the prevention of road accidents and to support the national associations and organisa- tions;
o to organise joint action for the prevention of road accidents, inter- national competitions and events aimed at increasing fitness for the road and to develop interest in the problems of the prevention of road aCCidents among all people, irrespective of age or type of user.
In recent years, our Association has been confronted with the urgent prob- lems which road safety poses in the developing countries.
Indeed, it can be seen that in most countries which are in the process of motorisation, the fast evolution of modern traffic has generated explosive road accident rates. This genuine social scourge which rages in the deve- loping countries impels us to promote by all appropriate means road aafety with the people of these countries.
With this aim considerable efforts have been and are currently being made for the development of road infrastructures. We believe, however, that providing these countries with good roads and modern vehicles is not enough, but that it is our task to give all road users an appropriate preparation to the phenomena of the evolution of motorisation.
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In this respect, all road safety experts are united in attributing the recent reduction of traffic accident rates in the industrialised countries to the long-lasting effeorts made in the fields of road safety education thus plays the predominant role in the fight against road accidents.
It is therefore the duty of the International Hoad Safety Organisation to make the countries in the process of motorisation benefit from those methods of prevention, education and information which have borne fruit in the industrialised countries.
In addition, in view of the constantly increasing internationalisation of road traffic, the International Road Safety Organisational believes that each user has the right to find the same road safety conditions in all countries. This has to be implemented through a vast international harmo- nisation of road safety conditions. To this respect, it is important to increase the African governments' awareness of the road safety problem and incite them to make efforts to promote standardisation of road safety conditions.
To this end and in conformity with the Medium-Term Programme of Action adopted by our General Meeting in Cairo, on 25 May 1983, PRI has created an
International Foundation for Road Saety in Developing Countries.
As PHI President, my role at this Congress could be to help create national road safety organisations in those countries where they do not yet exist and to encourage these newly created associations to join our Organisation and to enable them to benefit from our road safety methods.
In conclusion I would like to express all my wishes of succes to the work of this Congress in Nairobi, in a spirit of friendly cooperation between the specialists of different countries. I am convinced that this Congress will thus efficiently contribute to ensure a better safety on the roads of your beautiful continent and to turn the rouds of the world into roads of peace and cooperation among nations.
