By Jael Namiganda
The Uganda Road Accident Reduction Network Organization (URRENO) and Civil Society
Coalition on Transport (CISCOT) have appealed to the Minister of Works and Transport to urgently amend the Traffic and Road Safety Regulations 2004 on Blood Alcohol
Concentration (BAC) limit and Helmet Use to reduce road accidents in Uganda.
Addressing journalists at Nsambya on Thursday, Fred Nkuruho, Executive Director of URRENO said that there’s need for government to use observation methods by law enforcement to save lives, safe guard the economy and reduce the burden on the health system.
He argued that current Traffic and Road Safety Regulations, enacted 17 years ago, are outdated and obsolete.
According to the Annual Crime and Traffic report 2020, more than 10 people die every day due to road crush accidents. Road crush accidents cost Uganda about USD 2.4 billion according to Global Road Safety Facility 2016 report.
Eng. Lawrence Ssengendo from Civil Society Coalition on Transport (CISCOT) said that the covid-19 pandemic has slowed down progress on reducing road accidents and called for sensitization of the masses.
“While you are preventing an accident, you are having another disease attacking you. I believe we need to work together and government needs to be more embracing towards other actors for support because the more you go out and talk to people and include more of the local people, then your campaign of saving lives as a result of helmet use will be made much more easier he,” said.
Citing issues such as inadequate motorcycle helmet efficiency, lack of standards for other helmet users (pedal cyclists, horse riders’ skaters) and high threshold of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in the drunk driving regulation, the road safety activists proposed;
A reduction of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit from 0.08mg/dl to 0.05mg/dl
Enforcement of mandatory helmet use for motorcycle riders and their passengers; pedal cyclists, motorsport crews; skaters and horse riders
Introduction of the use of established observation methods by law enforcers to deter drink driving
Revision of the helmet standard to improve motorcycle helmet efficiency and develop standards for other helmet users.
The Annual Crime and Traffic report 2020 revealed that 12,249 crashes were registered with
3,663 fatalities. The report discloses that motorcyclists constitute the second highest number of road crashes in Uganda at 31 % (1,146) after pedestrians.
The report also indicates that drivers constituted 5% (182) of all fatalities while pedal cyclists accounted for 5% (183) of all fatalities on Ugandan roads.
It is very crucial to continually adhere to road safety regulations to minimize the levels of crashes on our roads that claim a high percentage of lives,” Nkuruho said.
