ABUJA (SUNDIATA POST)- The UN and WHO are urging collective action on road safety. aiming to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030.
Dr Sydney Ibeanusi, the Focal Person for the United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety and Injury Prevention (UNDARSIP), made the call during a joint press conference organised by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in commemoration of the 8th UN global road safety week on Monday in Abuja.
He said that the responsibility for road safety cannot rest solely on government agencies but must be shared by all road users, civil society organisations, and international bodies.
He cited alarming statistics from the 2023 WHO Global Road Safety Status Report, which revealed that nearly 1.19 million people die annually in road traffic accidents worldwide.
This, he said was with low- and middle-income countries bearing a disproportionate share of the burden.
He also stressed that Nigeria, despite improvements, continues to face high rates of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, particularly in urban areas where infrastructure is lacking.
According to Ibeanusi, we all know the safety of our road is of utmost importance to every road user in Nigeria.
“This is the reason why road safety and prevention of traffic crashes have emerged as an important public health and national developmental issue which needs to be tackled by a multidisciplinary approach.
“The trend in road crashes, injuries and death although on a downward trend is still alarming in countries like Nigeria.
“The number of fatal and disabling road crashes happening is increasing day by day.
“These are particularly the recently witnessed road mishaps involving heavy trucks laden with petroleum products and which has become a real public health challenge for all the concerned agencies to prevent it.
“Those who are affected or killed are mostly people in their prime productive age who make up more than 70 per cent of the country’s population and a significant proportion of the economic workforce.
“The highest burden of injuries and fatalities is borne disproportionately by poor people, as they are mostly pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers of buses, cabs, motorbikes and tricycles,”
Ibeanusi commended the efforts of the FRSC, which has been at the forefront of road safety advocacy in Nigeria.
He said they the FRSC’s work was recently recognised at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, Morocco, as well as at the Kofi Annan Global Awards for its innovative road safety measures.
He also highlighted the importance of a systems approach to road safety, which involved not only enforcement of traffic laws but also infrastructure development and public awareness campaigns.
He urged the Nigerian government to prioritise safer road designs, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, and reduce speed limits in urban centers to promote safety.
Ibeanusi called on Nigerians to take individual responsibility for road safety by adhering to traffic laws, advocating for improved road infrastructure, and ensuring that they contributed to a culture of safety on the roads.
Speaking, WHO country representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo commended the FRSC and other keyline Ministries, Departments and Agencies working on road safety for the great work being done.
Mulombo, who was represented by the WHO technical officer, Dr Mary Dewan also commend all stakeholders under the UNDARSIP Nigeria for facilitating a strong multisectoral collaboration across various sectors.
She said that road traffic injuries have multiple determinants it affects many people, and therefore requires action by all the different sectors.
“This year, the theme “Streets for Life; #MakeWalkingSafe #MakeCyclingSafe aims to mobilise advocates and communities to demand safer streets for walking and cycling and calls on policy makers to implement proven interventions to achieve it.
“When walking and cycling are safe, these modes of transport can contribute to making people healthy, cities sustainable and societies equitable,”she said.
Mulombo said that walking, and cycling were foundational modes of transport and physical activity and they have the power to transform health, mobility, and the liveability of communities.
This, she said aligned well with the global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity.
“The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety calls for urgent, coordinated action to promote walking and cycling as part of healthy, sustainable, and equitable transport systems.
“It therefore underscores the need for all sectors transport, health, education and beyond-to continue to work together to make cycling safe and accessible for everyone,”she said.(NAN)
