Recommendations
Recommendations from the African Road Safety Conference
The African Road Safety Conference was held in Accra, Ghana from 5-7 February 2007. The Ministerial Round Table took place on the 8th of February. This Conference was attended by over 200 participants.
The following recommendations were adopted:
Recommendation 1: Institutions
Improving road safety requires the designation of a lead agency that has proper legal backing, and is empowered and supported by adequate financial resources to ensure that it is well equipped and staffed with appropriately trained personnel
Recommendation 2: Data
Data collection is necessary for road safety management but only reliable data can be useful for planning purposes. Accordingly, efforts should be made to address the non reporting of accidents, and to harmonise data that originate from different sources
Recommendation 3: Management
Given Africa’s dismal record, efforts must be made to improve road safety management on the continent. In this regard, good practices example from within the continent should be recognized, widely disseminated and emulated.
Recommendation 4: Policy Harmonization
Harmonization of national policies and actions at sub-regional level (databases, regulations, infrastructure and equipment standards)
Recommendation 5: Quick Wins
Encourage African countries to enforce existing road safety legislation, particularly related to speed control, use of helmets, alcohol control, strengthening emergency trauma care and enhancing visibility. Where such legislation is non-existent, countries should seek to introduce it as early as possible
Recommendation 6: Partnership
The need for partnership and collaboration at sub-regional, regional and global level in advancing the road safety agenda
Recommendation 7: UN Global Road Safety Week
Urge all African countries to commemorate the first UN Global Road Safety Week by organizing activities at the national level and participating at the Youth Forum in Geneva in April 2007
Recommendations 8: Rural Road Safety
Mainstream road safety in national transport policies, including rural road safety
Recommendation 9: Road Safety Education
African countries should commit to educating and training the general public on road safety matters
Recommendation 10: National Road Safety Targets
Set and monitor measurable targets to contribute to achieving the goal of reducing accident fatalities by half by 2015
Ministerial round table discussion
The ministers in charge of transport and health met on the 8th of February 2007,endorsed the conference recommendations and adopted the Accra Declaration in which they resolved to work together to improve road safety in the continent. They reaffirmed road safety as a key development priority.
Also visit the following Sections:
- Road Safety Worldwide
- Road Safety in South Africa
- Accra Declaration
- The Make Roads Safe report:
- First United Nations Global Road Safety Week
- Posters/ Materials prepared in South Africa for the First United Nations Global Road Safety Week
