You are on page 1of 57

CHILD ROAD SAFETY

IN AFRICA
A PRESENTATION BY

INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH(ICH)


CLASS
FOR
PSM 727: REHABILITATIVE AND SOCIAL
MEDICINE
INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH (ICH)
CLASS
UBANUS EZEKIEL 153809
OYOM, COMFORT RUNYI 153124
ONUMADU CHINWENDU 154769
OMOLE, OPEYEMI 153820
OKODI, TIMIPERE J. 153575
OGUNGBESAN, JOSHUA 152704
ADETUNJI, OLUBUKOLA O. 76143
ADAMS, PATRICIA 154903
OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
PROBLEMS OF ROAD SAFETY IN
NIGERIA/ AFRICA
WHY CHILD ROAD SAFETY?
INTERVENTIONS TO ENSURE ROAD
SAFETY FOR ALL
RECOMMENDATIONS
CONCLUSIONS
INTRODUCTION
Road traffic injuries are a major but
neglected public health challenge that
requires concerted efforts for effective and
sustainable prevention. Road accidents will
rank as the world's third greatest public
health problem by 2020, superseded only
by AIDS and tobacco related illnesses.
(Arrive Alive 2004).
INTRODUCTION
Of all the systems with which people have
to deal with everyday, road traffic systems
are the most complex and the most
dangerous. Worldwide, an estimated 1.2
million people are killed in road crashes
each year and as many as 50 million are
injured. Projections indicate that these
figures will increase by about 65% over the
next 20 years unless there is new
commitment to prevention.
INTRODUCTION
Vulnerable road users such as pedestrians,
cyclists, motorcyclists and people using
informal public transport are most likely
to be harmed on the roads. Especially
children and young people are at high
risk, with road traffic accidents being the
leading cause of death for 10-24 year
olds.
THE PROBLEM
“This must never happen again”
Coroner’s Report following the world’s first
road accident (London 1896).

“I do not have words to express the


sorrow or loss I felt. It left a hole in my
heart that can never be filled.”
Nelson Mandela, on the death of his eldest
son in a road accident (South Africa 1969).
THE PROBLEM
Every year more than 1.17 million people die in
road crashes around the world. The majority of
these deaths, about 70 percent occur in
developing countries. Sixty-five percent of
deaths involve pedestrians and 35 percent of
pedestrian deaths are children. Over 10 million
are crippled or injured each year. It has been
estimated that at least 6 million more will die and
60 million will be injured during the next 10
years in developing countries unless urgent
action is taken.
THE PROBLEM
The majority of road crash victims
(injuries and fatalities) in developing
countries are not the motorized vehicle
occupants, but pedestrians, motorcyclists,
bicyclists, tricycles and non-motorized
vehicles (NMV) occupants.
THE PROBLEM
In desperation at the appalling state of
road safety, many communities have
taken to do it yourself ‘DIY’ measures to
protect themselves as in the Southern
Ghana (above). A more structured
approach would be of benefit to all
concerned.
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
The World Report on Child Injury
Prevention, published by the
World Health Organization(WHO)
and UNICEF, has highlighted the
enormous challenge of curbing
child road deaths” Petro Kruger,
director of RMI road safety said
foundation
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
Increased levels of motorization and
urbanization in low- and middle-income
countries are placing children at greater
risk on the road. Young children may
unknowingly take risks on the road
because they lack appropriate skills to act
safely. Older children and adolescents may
actively indulge in risk taking behaviours
that are exacerbated by peer pressure.
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
The new report, which was launched in Vietnam on 10
December 2008, collates the most inclusive collection
of available data on childhood injury.   With 260 000
children (up to the age of 18) killed on the world’s
roads every year, and another estimated 10 million
injured, road crashes are the leading cause of child
injury.
“Road crashes are a worsening global

disaster destroying lives and livelihoods,


hampering development and leaving
millions in greater vulnerability.”
World Disasters Report, Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies 1998
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
 Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of
unintentional death to children 10 - 19 yrs of age
and the second leading cause of injury related death
for children between 5 - 9 years of age, and are also
the leading cause of disability among children
generally. According to the recently published
World report on child injury prevention, road traffic
injuries are the leading cause of death. The report
predicts significant increases in road traffic
casualties over the next 15 years, particularly in
low-income and middle-income countries
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
 The greatest need for immediate and drastic action exists
in low- and middle-income countries. These countries,
which include South Africa, are responsible for more than
93 percent of child road deaths and injuries in the world.
Data shows that globally, the road traffic death rate among
children is 10.7 per 100 000 population. In the African
Region, however, the rate is 19.9 per 100 000 population.

The situation in all developing countries in matters of


road safety is distressing and as Africa contains the
world’s poorest countries, the situation is particularly
bleak.
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT

According to the World Health


Organization’s Global Status Report on
Road Safety
Every year, road crashes kill nearly 1.3
million people and injure between 20 and
50 million more.
Worldwide, road traffic injuries are the
leading cause of death among people aged
15 to 29, and the second cause of death for
those aged 5 to 14.
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
Five hundred children die every day in
road crashes.
More children died in Africa in 1998 from
road crashes than from AIDS.

(WHO, 2009)
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
 Road traffic injuries rank ninth among the leading
cause of deaths for children aged 1 to 4 year.
 14,650 people are killed on south Africa roads
each year(40people/day), 620,000 crashes per
year (1698/day), 38,000 serious injuries per
year(104/day), 84,000 less serious injuries
(230/day). A person is killed every 48 minutes
and an accident occurs every 4 seconds. Last
year, for example, over 15,000 people died on
South Africa’s roads
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
 Head of Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety
Commission listed some of the causes of road
accidents in Nigeria including; indiscipline and
ignorance, excessive speed, drunk-driving, lack
of infrastructure for pedestrians, non use of seat
belts and helmets to reduce accidents in the
country. He informed the conference of the
Commission’s targets, reduce to 40% road
accidents, and a 50% death or seriously injured
persons by 2010(Africa Road Safety Conference,
2007).
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
In Ghana 45 percent of those killed in road
accidents are pedestrians, 70 percent are
males, 25% of all road fatalities are under
16, 60 per cent are between 18-55yrs, and 65
per cent of road accidents occur in rural
areas. Women become widows and single
parents prematurely. Children are unable to
go to school, and become destitute. In the
mid 1990s, cyclists accounted for over 50
fatalities and 400 casualties every year.
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
In general, pedestrians and cyclists are four
times more likely to be affected by RTAs
than motorized vehicles. And yet despite the
high incidences of RTAs for cyclists, the
overwhelming majority of cyclists have
neither received training nor wear protective
equipment whilst riding, thereby
endangering themselves on two counts. As
such, they pose a danger not only to
themselves but to other road users as well
CURRENT SITUATION REPORT
Statistically,Kenya’s crash and fatality
figures are high, with drivers, pedestrians,
and young persons recording large
numbers of deaths. Though numbers of
crashes are decreasing, the severity of the
crashes is increasing. Causes of crashes
appear to be similar to those in other
countries, with the human factor being the
highest
WHAT IS ROAD SAFETY?
Road Safety involves all measures taken
by all stakeholders (government,
motorists, pedestrians and other road
users) in ensuring accident-free roads that
would not pose any risk or harm to all
road users.
PROBLEMS OF ROAD SAFETY IN
NIGERIA
LACK OF ROAD SAFETY
EDUCATION
Drivers
Pedestrians
School Children
Other Road Users
The environment in which a child lives has
a significant impact on the type of transport
and traffic they are exposed to and this
needs to be taken into consideration when
designing an education plan for children.
Children in areas with lower income level,
are typically more exposed to traffic, as
they often start walking to school or using
public transport alone, at an earlier age.
Other external factors include the social
environments in lower income areas with
social problems, the focus of the parent is
on other social problems and not
educating their children about traffic
safety.
PROBLEMS OF ROAD SAFETY IN
AFRICA
LACK OF ROAD SAFETY LAWS/
IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES
BAD ROADS
MOST VEHICLES ARE NOT ROAD
WORTHY
INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS
ILL-EQUIPPED WORK FORCE
PROBLEMS OF ROAD SAFETY IN
AFRICA
RECKLESS/ DRUNKEN DRIVING
IMPROPER ISSUANCE OF DRIVERS’
LICENSE
IMPROPER CONSTUCTION OF
ROADS TO ACCOMMODATE ALL
ROAD USERS SUCH AS CHILDREN,
CYCLISTS,ETC
WHY CHILD ROAD SAFETY?
Children behave differently from adults in
traffic. Children have physical and mental
characteristics that limit their ability to handle
complex traffic situations.
They have limited attention span and cannot
concentrate on a task longer than a period of
time.
Up to the age of 7, their senses are not fully
developed and they do not have the same visual
and hearing abilities as adults.
WHY CHILD ROAD SAFETY?
Their observations are guided strongly by
fantasies and emotions. They cannot
distinguish between their “inner” world
(their thoughts) and the external or real
world.
They have a limited sense of danger
They imitate the often bad behaviour of
others, especially older children.
Older children and adolescents may
actively indulge in risk taking behaviours
that are exacerbated by peer pressure.
WHY CHILD ROAD SAFETY?
Older children and adolescents may
actively indulge in risk taking behaviours
that are exacerbated by peer pressure.

“Road safety is an issue of immense human


proportions; it is an issue of economic
proportions; it’s an issue of social proportions
and it’s also an issue of equity. Road safety
very much affects poor people.”
James Wolfensohn, President - WorldBank,1999
Why Children Are Particularly Vulnerable On The
Road

• The child is relatively small in relation to


vehicles, buildings and therefore has a limited
view of his/her environment
• When standing on the pavement / side of the
road, behind or in front of vehicle the child can not
see oncoming traffic and the
driver can not see the child.
• Vulnerable body parts such as the head, chest and
abdomen are at the same height as the bonnet of a
car and are most often hit in an accident.
Why Children Are Particularly
Vulnerable On The Road
• Collisions in which children are often result
in brain injury. Because of the softness of
the skull, it is easily damaged.
• The child's head is large in comparison
with the rest of his body. In a collision the
child is flung through the air and usually
lands on his/her head.
• The young child's movement in traffic is
often quick, uncertain and clumsy and their
movement impulsive.
CHILD SAFETY
Drivers and cyclists are urged to be
careful near schools, churches, mosques,
markets, snack shop, ice cream stalls,
parks fruits trees, or street hawkers,
because children are usually found in such
places.
WHEN TRAVELLING WITH
CHILDREN
Children between the ages of 0-12 months
should not ride in front of the vehicle. This is
for their safety. Where children of given age
groups are carried on the front seat, they should
ride facing the rear using child restraint. The
restraint should be attached, such that the child
would face the rear of the seat.
Children from ages 1-7 should ride facing the
front of the car in a child’s seat, strapped
properly to the back seat.
CONT’D
Do not carry a child on your laps as he or
she may be crushed between your body
and the dash board if there is a crash.
Do not allow the children to play with the
handle of the doors or locks, use child
lock while driving where available.
Do not allow children to ride in the
luggage area of hatch backs, station
wagons or vans.
CONT’D
Do not leave a hatch back open when a
child is riding in the back seat.
It is against the law to transport children
under age 16 at the back of a pick-up van.
Children from age 7 and above should
ride in a vehicle facing the front but
securely restrained with safety belt.
CHILD SEAT
This is a special safety seat for a child
that is fitted into a car. Ensure that the
child is correctly placed in a child safety
seat. This reduces the possibility of an
injury or death in an event of a crash.
WHAT TO DO WHEN WALKING
WITH A CHILD
While walking, face on coming vehicle;
hold the child on your left such that you
will be between the child and the vehicle.
CHILDREN OF SCHOOL AGE
While crossing the road, children should use
overhead/foot bridges where they are provided.
While walking on the road, children should
always face the traffic.
Children should always use the pavement
where provided.
Children should not play on the roads.
Children should wear reflective clothes at
dusk.
INTERVENTIONS TO ENSURE ROAD
SAFETY
 Calling the global road safety crisis "a major public
health problem" with a "broad range of social and
economic consequences," the 64th General Assembly of
the United Nations passed a resolution March 2
proclaiming 2011-2020 the Decade of Action for Road
Safety.
 Representatives of the Global Road Safety Partnership
(GRSP) met with road safety stake holders in Lagos and
Abuja, Nigeria in August 2010 to discuss the
establishment of a national road safety partnership
between the public sector, (led by the Nigerian Federal
Road Safety Commission), private sector organizations
and civil society.
RECOMMENDATIONS
A national medium or long term Road Safety Plan is a
prerequisite for achieving sustainable improvements in
road safety. The plan should set measurable long term
and mid-term road safety targets, build capacity of local
institutions, and provide alternative sources of financing
for road safety measures.
 Publicity Programs

Road user education and awareness raising is an


important part of any road safety strategy. To be
effective such activity must be based on analysis of data
and should be designed and monitored in a systematic
way to ensure success.
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Driver Training and Testing: With road user error
contributing to the vast majority of road crashes, the
development of safe drivers, skilled in defensive driving
techniques, should be the primary objective of any road
safety program. Driving examiners in developing countries
are rarely given special training and driving tests an
inadequate test of ability to drive safely in traffic on real
roads.
 Traffic Law and Enforcement: In most developing countries
the Traffic Police are grossly under-resourced and under-
trained to deal effectively with road safety violations.
Effective traffic law enforcement can play an important role
in reducing traffic crashes.
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Road Safety Research: Research and Development is
an important part of safety work and should be
incorporated into road safety programs.
Road safety research aims to improve knowledge about
factors contributing to road crashes, effects of different
countermeasures, and development of new and more
effective safety measures. It forms the framework of
knowledge against which better policy and resource
allocation decisions can be made to ensure most
effective use of available resources.
RECOMMENDATIONS
 The Role of NGOs: Road safety cannot be the responsibility
of government alone. The commercial sector, service
organisations and non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
play an important role in increasing road safety awareness.
NGOs have an important input at grass roots level.
CONCLUSION
Children will always be children.
Child road safety in Africa requires a
comprehensive approach, including
involvement from parents, teachers,
communities, governmental and non-
governmental organizations. A
comprehensive approach also include
training programs in classrooms, educating
children with plays, booklets, games and
training them in real life scenarios
REFERENCES
 Arrive Alive (2004), Road Traffic and Fatal Crash Statistics 1990-
2003
 Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, How Children See Traffic, City of
Madison Department of Transportation, Traffic Engineering
Division, www.bhsi.org
 Carlsson, Gunnar, and Karl-Olov Hedman. 1990. A Systematic
Approach to Road Safety in Developing Countries. INU 63,
Infrastructure and Urban Development Department, World Bank,
Washington, DC.
 Department for Transport (2004), Children’s Traffic Safety:
International lessons for the UK
 Federal Road Safety Commission,Nigeria (2008). Nigeria
Highway Code.
THANK YOU

You might also like