Doctor’s eye on causes of Road Traffic Accidents

By Dr. Oyesigye Fred

Road traffic accidents are unexpected and undesirable event, a mishap unforeseen and without apparent cause happening on roads globally Hornby A. S 1995 Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary 5th Edition Oxford New York ].

Uganda is a landlocked country with no any other mode of transport apart from roads, 95% of goods and 99% passengers use roads as the mode of transport because it is accessible, flexible to all destinations of passengers and goods consignments.

Globally 90% disability and death is due road traffic accidents annually (Murray,1996,O,Neill et al, 2002).

The leading cause of death by 2020 will be trauma caused by road traffic accidents both in developed and developing countries (WHO 2004).

The Mortality rate of road traffic injuries in Africa is 28.3 per 100,000 people. While on average 2,000 people die per year due to road traffic accidents in Uganda.

Road traffic accidents are characterized by
excessive speeding , frequent or unsafe lane changes, failure to signal, tail gating.

Failure to yield right of way, disregarding traffic controls , impaired driving.

Causes of Road Traffic Accidents
Vehicle equipment failure attributed to brakes, tyres ,steering and suspension at 10%
Roadway make and Design e.g. road surfaces, traffic flow, lanes, speed humps 5%
Poor road Maintenance e.g. with pot holes, faded road signs, debris, rain weather at 5%.

Drivers Behavior of speeding, over confidence ,drunkenness and aggressiveness 80%
Factors contributing to Road Traffic Accidents
Increased populations of humans, vehicles ,and 24hour movements on roads
Inadequate knowledge of road user about road traffic rules .

Government import regulations which allow old vehicles into the country, poor quality maintenance of vehicles and lack of spares by owners.

The official commercialization of driving permits issuing, prior to testing driving skills,
corruption in the revenue and policing agencies in enforcing laws like speed limits and speed governors to private service vehicles, market transport competition, with taxi drivers and motorbike riders.

Road Traffic Accidents (injuries and death) in Uganda 2000-2009 (population of Uganda 2009 ).
No of registered vehicles
Total number of accidents
Persons injured
Reported number of traffic deaths
Estimated traffic deaths /100,000popn (respectively below are the figures).

32,891,994
522,654
22699
13392
2838
24.7

Source: Annual traffic road safety, Uganda police/Ministry of Works and Transport Kampala
Population at Risk:
School children, traders, drivers, motorcycle riders, population in urban centers , drunkards
effects and implications on public health:-

Congestion by a two wheeled vehicles and motor vehicles and pedestrians, resulting into mixed land use by all road users.

Pedestrians carrying huge luggage in congested places making noise for help to by pass.

Government policy on Road safety is not yet in place, it is being prepared with the help of world Bank for 2009-2014.
Strategies
Prepare national road safety policies and plan of action.

Implement specific actions stop road traffic accidents
Identify a lead agency to guide the national road traffic safety.

Allocate financial and human resources to address road traffic problems.

Targets: – 100% of tarmac roads leading to districts and urban centers 2015.

Reduction of road traffic accident deaths to 0% by 2015.

The government of Uganda is interested in the following areas to reach the public :

Education: – Sensitization is being done over local radios and other media.

Completed syllabus to test drivers, instructors and operation of driving schools.

Introduced a new high way code 2004 and road safety education in primary schools.

Engineering:- Roads have been constructed others rehabilitated, road marking and signs put.

Transport licensing board (TLB) has been created for inspection of vehicles.

Legislation and enforcement:- Traffic and road safety act 1998 was passed to strictly enforce road traffic laws and regulations.

Inter National agencies: – Have funded and repaired roads, provided equipments like ambulance, hospital machines to health workers, to work on victims of accidents.

Recommendation
Reinforce and tailor seat-belt-use laws in Uganda, they reduced traffic injuries in developed countries by 40% to 50%.

Traffic rules on seat occupants should be strengthened, because car occupants constitute 10% to 20% traffic fatalities in Uganda.

Print and distribute IEC materials to communities about traffic rules and signs.

Placing policemen 1km apart on highways including moving along with passengers should be strengthened.

Drunk or drug abuse drivers, confiscation of driving permits should be mandatory.

Police to enforce the appropriate number of passengers for two wheeled vehicles.

Improve helmet safety laws among two-wheeled vehicle riders as well as passengers .

Government should expand on sizes and improve on nasty roads.