Kampala — On November 18, Uganda will join the rest of the UN member countries at the ministerial conference on Commission for global road safety in Moscow Russia. However, the question is: Will this conference deliver measures to reduce death on the world's roads from accidents?

The incidence of car wrecks continues to rise with improved road networks in both developed and developing countries that tempt many drivers to speed.

In Uganda, the question could be answered by Works and Transport Minister John Nasasira who will represent Uganda at the conference and chair one of the crucial sessions on road traffic crashes.

According to Dr Margie Peden, the coordinator, Unintentional Injury Prevention at the department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability at the World Health Organisation, the ministers will announce a "decade" of action for road safety strategy.

Twenty dead

The attempts to realise global road safety is welcome especially at a time when more lives are being claimed each passing day. In Uganda, where this past week alone so more than 20 people die on the road in car crashes, one can arguably reason that both good and bad roads are a trap of death but the two only apply after both motorist and pedestrians are either ignorant or mindless about the state of the road on which they are driving on or walking along.

The above can be explained in the sense that when roads are in bad shape with potholes all over the place, this is likely to cause accidents involving reckless drivers who either speed or whose vehicles are in bad condition.

Accidents on good roads

But there is also the scenario where tarmac roads are now fast-becoming death traps in the sense that drivers are tempted to step on the accelerator, especially those who drive commercial commuter vehicles. The drivers of these vehicles want to maximise the day's taking by making as many returns routes before the sun goes down. But this zest immediately puts the lives of their passengers at risk.

According to Police records, over the last two years, the worst accidents have occurred on major highways like Kampala-Jinja road, Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara road, Mityana-Mubende-Kabarole road, Homia-Kampala road and Kampala- Gulu highway. The Police see a pattern here in the sense that the worst crashes all occur almost at the same time of the year - during the months of November and December, when people are travelling for the festive season upcountry.

The Police also recognise that overloading of passengers, driving while drunk and poor mechanical condition of vehicles are partly responsible for death on the roads. But although the above also contribute to the death statistics, speeding that comes with better road network has increased the problem.

Eng. Nasasira speaks of regulations his ministry has put in place to improve road safety. These regulations address the use of vehicles on the road, the driver and driving habits.

Both good and bad roads (below) continue to cause carnage

He said: "As a ministry we have put in place laws and these laws are implemented by the Police but due to other demands on the Force these laws have not been well implemented."

"But with the new regulations in the pipeline like inspection of imported vehicles to determine their [road] worthiness before they are put on the local market and the proposed identification of all drivers on highways accidents will be reduced," Eng. Nasasira added.

Traffic Police work

Police Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba told Sunday Monitor that the issue of accidents was being addressed seriously by the Force, citing increased Force presence on all highways and the ongoing crack-down on Boda Boda cyclists in the city.

"Enforcement of traffic laws and sensitising the public is ongoing to alert passengers of their rights whenever travelling by public transport. However, the Force has [also] acquired equipment to monitor drunk drivers and monitor speedometers in all vehicles," Ms Nabakooba said.

According to the Police annual report for 2008, 20,522 accidents were reported last year with 2,059 being fatal, 7,958 serious and 10,505 minor.

According to the report published by the World Health Organisation and World Bank, the first ever global assessment of the scale of road injury in the World Report on Road Injury Prevention, more than 85 per cent of the 1.3 million people who are killed in road crashes, died as a result of speeding on good roads. The report also notes that 50 million are injured around the world in road traffic accidents in low and middle income countries.

The report further warns that road deaths are forecast to double by 2020. The report also concentrated attention on the rising numbers of road injury, especially of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

Uganda National Roads Authority, (UNRA) Spokesperson Dan Alinage told Sunday Monitor that in last two years over 4,000 kilometres of road surface has been improved to tarmac. Of this, 1,800 kilometres was rehabilitation of older roads originally built in the Obote administrations while 1,000 kilometres are new trunk roads.

"The ministry has intensified on improving the road network ... but we appeal to the public, both drivers and pedestrians to always observe proper road usage," Mr Alinage said on Thursday.

UNRA is government authority established by the Ministry of Works to maintain and supervise construction of roads. With traffic laws going half implemented, and indiscipline on the road rife, it is feared that Uganda will continue to lose lives.

Museveni on road carnage

Only last week, President Museveni, told mourners at the funeral service his fallen advisor Albert Byaruhanga in Kabarole District that if individual drivers do not check on speed while on the road, more lives are to be lost. Byaruhanga died from injuries sustained in a road traffic accident that was blamed on speeding. "That road is smooth, why speed? Now it has ended the life of someone who would never quarrel," Mr Museveni was quoted saying.

Last month, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Prof. Ogenga Latigo, survived death by a whisker after his official vehicle slammed head-on into a speeding bus along the smooth section of the Kampala-Gulu highway. This accident left two people dead.

Christmas this year comes at a time when several highways have been newly resurfaced meaning the speeds will be very high. Lives will be lost on the road if drivers do not watch their speed.