UN hopes to improve road safety in Africa with infrastructure projects

30 August 2011

The United Nations (UN) plans to reduce the number of road-related accidents in Africa by encouraging infrastructure projects.

Its Decade of Action for Road Safety will look at ways to "encourage the implementation of various key safety measures", according to Avi Silverman, head of international and public affairs for the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Foundation.

As well as aiming to encourage the development of improved highways and streets, the programme hopes safer vehicles will be built, more helmets and seat belts will be used and better road management implemented over the next ten years.

Mr Silverman noted that road safety on the continent is currently in a poor state as the number of casualties in some African countries, such as Kenya, is rising.

He stated that there are a variety of road infrastructure projects that are being undertaken, but noted that "there is a lack of road safety measures to go alone with them".

The UN launched the programme after it found out that 1.3 million people are killed due to road accidents across the world every year, while 50 million are left with injuries. 

Category: Transport