World Road Traffic Victims Day Commemorated By SLRSA

The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, on Monday 14th November 2016 commenced a week-long commemoration of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on the theme; “Vital Post-Crash Action: Medical Care, Investigation, Justice!”

The ceremony took place at the Miatta Conference Hall, Youyi Building, Brookfields in Freetown.

The World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victim is set aside by the United Nations to remember those who have died and incapacitated through road accidents.

SLRSA Human Resources Director, Joseph O. Dauda, who chaired the ceremony, stated that road accidents are a global concern as they affect everyone leaving sad memories adding, “road accidents are so crucial as many victims have lost their lives while others have become incapacitated.”

Joseph O. Dauda mentioned Emmanuel Kamanda of the Government Municipal Secondary School who was recently involved in a road accident while going to school and lost a leg noting, “road safety is a great concern to SLRSA for which I want to appeal to the public to always adhere to road safety rules. The day is not only to remember victims but to also raise awareness.”

The Commissioner of the Sierra Leone Insurance Commission (SLICOM), Augustine A. Kanu stated that the World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Crashes by the UN is a move in the right direction considering the amount of people who die and are injured daily worldwide through road accidents apart from the suffering dependents of victims who lose their loved ones through road accidents undergo.

Commissioner Augustine A. Kanu further said that it is high time something is done to reverse the trend due to the increase in road accidents globally informing, “15 million people died daily not to talk about the injured” and underscored the need for the day to be observed remembering victims as well as create awareness to reduce the menace.

He further highlighted that the insurance industry believes in the drive to make roads safe, the reason it is partnering with SLRSA to remember victims and also raise awareness on road safety continuing that it is difficult to completely eliminate the risk of road traffic accidents and therefore encouraged the public to embrace insurance protection to ensure that there is always a feed back in cases of loss, injury and death.

The Deputy Transport and Aviation Minister, Mohamed Alieu Jalloh disclosed that prior to 2011, the country did not have a comprehensive road safety policy and strategy but that with the establishment of SLRSA, it has formulated a road map and observed that Sierra Leone has experienced an increase in the number of vehicles from 34,654 in 2005 to 50,443 in 2011 in addition to the rapid increase in motorbikes which pose major traffic problems in the country.

He went on, “this increase in vehicle traffic has taken place with limited improvement in the capacity of both urban and rural roads, increase in accidents and the severity of injures. The estimated costs of road crashes to Sierra Leone are 1.3% of GDP which consists of material losses, medical cost and productivity.”

Mohamed Alieu Jalloh also pledged government’s commitments in supporting and building the capacity of road safety institutions like SLRSA, improve on roads, people’s behavior on the road and also drivers and the training of commercial motorbike riders reiterating that the statistics of road traffic crashes is alarming but noted, “together, we can reduce them.”

Health and Sanitation Minister, Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah said that road safety is an individual and collective responsibility for all Sierra Leoneans as its success undoubtedly depends on the role played by all stakeholders stressing that government alone cannot win the war, no matter how much resources are invested into the road safety campaign.

According to Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah, “the loss of hundreds of our compatriots through road accidents comes at a huge social and economic cost to the country  as millions of Leones are lost yearly” and continued that the country does not only lose physical cash as a result of meeting the cost of medical care of the victims, sometimes necessitating overseas treatment and their contribution to the socio-economic development of the country through the number of years of their remaining lives spent with disability.

Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah stated that although the road safety campaigns run throughout the year, festive periods are the peak with tens of people dying on the roads adding, “this is why this week of commemoration is also timely as we approach the most frenzy period.”

According to the Health Minister, his Ministry alongside other Departments would continue to partner with all stakeholders to support SLRSA with awareness and public education programs to mobilize society towards this common goal which should be at the heart of the strategy to reinforce law enforcement capabilities throughout the year.

He further called on the Transport Ministry and SLRSA to prioritize issues in implementing the policy of driving tests before issuing licenses to drivers, encourage passengers to take responsibility for their own safety in ensuring that drivers always obey the laws pointing out that drivers who drive long distances are expected to stop at rest stops to rest sufficiently before proceeding.