Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 to be proclaimed by governments around the world

Dan Muhuni receives UN New road safety Decade Tag from
Avi Silverman FIA Foundation

By Dan Muhuni
The United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011 to 2020 is due to be formally launched in Kenya and around the World mid this year. This comes at a time where the global epidemic of road crash fatalities and disabilities is gradually being recognized as a major public health concern.
Speaking during Decade of action for road safety announcement in Nairobi, Avi Silverman, Commission for Global Road Safety’s Head of public affairs said “In the resent past road carnage worldwide is on the increase. We are intensifying road safety strategy as part of Kenya’s Make Roads Safe campaign and the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011 to 2020. We call upon every Kenyan to partner with government and go all out to ensure safer roads," added Silverman.
Silverman said that Kenya’s athletes are at the forefront in promoting this crucial UN initiative. The whole world is facing a road deaths crisis of epidemics proportions which requires a global response. The aim is to save millions of lives over the next decade, and as ambassadors for this cause Kenya’s athletes are leading the way.

In Kenya Athletic Kenya  launched the endorsement of the tag and UN Decade at the National Cross Country Championship held over the weekend at Uhuru Gardens.
Silverman said “Kenya’s star competitors will then wear the yellow road safety ‘Tag’ when competing at international events such as the world Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain and other major competitions worldwide”.
Unfortunately, the industry’s vast growth has been accompanied by increasing road traffic accidents that have threatened safety of Kenyan travelers.
David Okeyo, Secretary General of Athletic Kenya said: We want to honour those who have suffered. Prominent Kenyan athletes have been killed or injured in road crashes and as a tribute to them and their families we have joined the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. We will wear the Decade Tag with pride. We want to send the message loud and clear that with support and action around the world, lives can be saved.
A report available to us from the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) a non-governmental, humanitarian organization shows that Nearly 1.3 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287 deaths a day. An additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled. More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among young adults ages 15-44. Road traffic crashes rank as the 9th leading cause of death and account for 2.2% of all deaths globally. Road crashes are the leading cause of death among young people ages 15-29, and the second leading cause of death worldwide among young people ages 5-14.
The report further shows that Each year nearly 400,000 people under 25 die on the world's roads, on average over 1,000 a day. Over 90% of all road fatalities occur in low and middle-income countries, which have less than half of the world's vehicles. Road crashes cost USD $518 billion globally, costing individual countries from 1-2% of their annual GDP. Unless action is taken, road traffic injuries are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030.
In Kenya alone each year, the road carnage has tripled from 900 in 1963 to 1000 in 1989 to 3,700 in 2010. In these accidents more than 3,700 persons were killed, 6,650 were seriously injured and 11,094 had minor injuries. The causes of the accidents included reckless driving, non-roadworthy vehicles and poor conditions of the roads.
The report further shows that Kenya, with an average of 7 deaths from the 35 crashes that occur each day, has one of the highest road fatality rates in relation to vehicle ownership in the world.
“Nearly 3,700 people are killed on Kenyan roads annually. This translates to approximately 68 deaths per 1,000 registered vehicles, which is 30-40 times greater than in highly motorized countries. Road traffic crashes are the third leading cause of death after malaria and HIV/AIDS and present major public.

health problem in terms of morbidity, disability and associated health care costs. Despite this huge burden, road safety measures in place are ineffective, characterized by crack downs on motor vehicles following a tragic road crash”.
These accidents have been occasioned by the government’s neglect of the road sub-sector in the past 10-15 years. The government has so far taken very few measures to correct the situation. First, it has developed the integrated national transport policy. Secondly, it has introduced reforms in the operation of public service vehicles (PSVs) by publishing Legal Notice No.161 in October, 2003 and lastly the infamous Michuki traffic rules that are nowadays things of the past.