The world’s roads have killed far more people than any other mode of transport. Every year, more than 1.3 million people die in road crashes in the world. Here in Zambia, we have accepted and are living with a loss of about 2,000 Zambian lives in road crashes every year. Multiplied by a normative value of fifty (50) to get the approximate number of injured person from that of fatalities, Zambia records and alarming average of 100,000 people injured from road crashes every year, and we have all apparently accepted this to be a normal part of our lives!
In spite of its devastating and costly impact on society, the high number of people killed and injured in road crashes globally does not seem to arouse the befitting response from society as something that is really frightening, totally unacceptable, and requiring urgent curtailing. Unless very drastic steps are taken, road fatalities in sub Saharan Africa are projected to increase by 112%, from approximately 243,000 in 2015 to 514,000 in 2030. This is a far greater percentage increase than any other region of the world, and is in opposite contrast to the projected reduction in fatalities in Europe and other parts of the world, including the Pacific, central and East Asia.
If the numbers of people killed in road crashes were from the air transport mode, air transport (being a very sensitive mode) would have been banned and abandoned ages ago. Road crashes have killed and injured a lot more people than most calamities, possibly including wars, and certainly more than natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes. Amazingly, such calamities attract far more media coverage, and global public concern than road crashes which take place and kill people every day.
It is probably due to its high flexibility and convenience to humanity as a means of mobility that road transport has continued to be quietly embraced and tolerated as a means of mobility despite the devastating impact of road crashes on society. The quiet acceptance of road crashes does in itself hinder serious action from being taken to curtail them decisively. The quiet acceptance is probably also the reason why road safety is often not viewed and tackled with the seriousness it deserves. Again, for the same reason, road safety is often begrudged the allocation of resources commensurate with the seriousness it ought to be tackled with. The truth however is that all road crashes can be completely avoided, together with their attendant high cost that society endures.
Rather than accept it as normal, the road crash problem needs to be actively spoken against by everyone, starting with political leaders, as is done with other societal scourges like corruption, the drought and poverty, for the simple reason that it claims unacceptably huge numbers of human life and causes immense human suffering. Political leaders are in a most privileged position to influence people in road safety awareness because the public is naturally their captive audience. As in most other sub Saharan countries, the Church and other faith based organisations here in Zambia command a similar privilege with the public. These can also similarly be engaged in delivering messages on road safety to their respective audiences and help save lives on our roads.
Other than the loss of lives, the country pays a very high cost arising from the medical treatment of surviving road crash victims. Because of the serious bodily injuries that some surviving road crash victims incur, they invariably occupy hospital beds and draw medical attention and resources for the longest periods compared to other hospital patients, often stretching up to Nine (9) months. It is estimated that road crash victims gobble up to 30% of the annual budget of the Ministry of health in Zambia. This loss is in addition to;
1. The unquantifiable but immense anguish and pain that families endure for their dead relatives.
2. The economic loss to both the nation and the family, of someone who may have been a productive person and a breadwinner for the family.
3. The economic loss to the family where a surviving victim requires home care for long periods of time or for the rest of their lives.
Weighed against the serious and unacceptable level at which road crashes cause death and suffering to humanity, it is patently worth the while of political leaders to sustainably deliver well-packaged messages to the public to deter high road carnage.
Over 90% of all road crashes are caused by poor and unsafe behaviour of people on the roads, meaning road crashes are purely a behavioral problem: But behaviour can always be modified. People can adjust their costly poor behavior on roads and replace it with safer road user behaviour to save human life.
Road safety messages coming from the top leadership can be a very critical reinforcement, and often constitute the missing link in the effectiveness of whatever efforts are coming from the institutions typically assigned the constitutional mandate for the promotion of road safety in a country. Political leaders should not appear to be moved only occasionally when news of fatal crashes involving prominent figures breaks out. National leaders can drive, induce and sustain a national culture of road safety by frequently sending messages of safer road user behaviour to the public, so that road safety awareness can always be on the minds of the people to avoid road crashes. (Zambia recently lost four people in a horrible road crash that included a popular and prominent musician, but rather than use the misfortune to remind the public about road safety, some political leaders found it more pertinent to relate the incident to some other unhelpful priorities.
The realisation that high road carnage comes at too high a price for society to pay and endure in silence has invariably been the trigger point at which serious action has been taken by those societies that have tackled it affectively. The first and critical trigger to action towards improving road safety is to call road carnage out for what it really is; a costly, serious and unacceptable cause of death and suffering to humanity. The next step is to bring the road crash problem to its rightful place in the mind of every person and let that stay there permanently. Instead of lamentations being seen only during the mourning periods of road crash victims, fizzling out soon thereafter, a culture of talking about road safety (against road crashes) by the public is thus a critical pre-condition for both the public and Government to commit to the improvement of road safety.
Concern and government commitment to improving road safety in a country begins with the realisation that the colossal loss to the nation occasioned by road crashes is shameful, totally unnecessary and preventable. It is only when Governments are firmly convinced about the need to curtail these unnecessary losses that they will be compelled to take action and see it worthwhile for them to commit resources to ending them. Without proper and genuine political concern and government commitment to road safety improvement, there can be no hope of any country getting equal to the task of decisively and effectively tackling road crashes.
It is only when people get to sustainably express their serious concern about road crashes that Governments can be compelled to take action and commit resources to prevent the severe economic implications and social economic costs of road crashes to society. It is equally the duty of all professionals dealing with the problem of road safety to make the clarion call, champion and promote talking about road safety all the way from the top of Government (Head of State) to the ordinary citizens living with the risk of road crashes and their devastating consequences on a daily basis.
Presidential Patronage of road safety in the country is a best practice. There is empirical evidence to suggest that visible Presidential patronage can go a long way in adjusting people’s mindsets towards safer road user behaviour in them. This entails adopting the Head of State (HoS) as the key ambassador and patron of road safety, and getting him to lead the talk about it. We are fortunate enough right now in Zambia, as we have a Head of State who is more than likely passionate enough to want to be a part of this noble drive.
At one point in France, a reduction of as much as 20% in road traffic accidents was attributed to some statement of concern coming from the head of state about the road safety situation in that country.
At the regional level, road safety is an issue that deserves and requires urgent attention at Summit Level.
Constant reminders at all possible levels about road safety will foster a presence of mind about road safety (road safety awareness) by all road users at all times to bring about safer road user behaviour and compliance with road traffic law to prevent road crashes. For vehicle drivers, the presence of mind (road safety awareness) at all times is particularly critical, and is essential in defensive driving.
Sustained talking about road safety sustains safer road user behaviour, which has a direct bearing on actual reduction in road crashes, deaths and injuries. Not talking enough about it is to accept and allow it to continue as a silent killer.
The Author, Martin Mbangu is Transport expert /specialist.
