The Africa Director at <Amend.org>, Tom Bishop, has called upon mass media practitioners in Tanzania to take their rightful position in campaigning against 'serial' road accidents.
Bishop was speaking to Business Times in an exclusive session when inviting journalists to visit the <amend.org> frequently in order to get updates on road safety.
The man was reacting into an enquiry by this paper on the rapidly rising rate of accidents in Tanzania in recent times. He referred this reporter to the most recent report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UK-registered FIA, stating that 500 children lose their lives on the world’s roads every day!
This in the long run means loss of labour force and skills to road motor vehicle accidents! In the event, he requested mass media organs to support the zeal of his organization as part of the fulfillment of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the post-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2015 period.
Furthermore, he said that the relevant SDG target represents a new opportunity for tackling road accidents and sustaining motoring safety.
The report reveals that over 1.2 million people die from road traffic injuries every year, with many of the casualties being those in the most active age: 15-to-50 years of age! Apart from the deaths, even the people who survive are not necessarily active again – either due to mental or physical injuries.
Again it is in the poor or developing world where there are more risks of accidents than in the developed world.
The report identifies some of the challenges in road transport as poor management of licensing systems; speed management, and lack of tougher vehicle regulations, as well as the problem of lacking spaces for cyclists and pedestrians alongside roads.
It also mentions an ever-increasing number of motor vehicles on poor infrastructures; poor training of drivers; inadequate Police enforcement; rampant corruption, and a low level or non-existent of awareness regarding traffic laws.
The overall consequence of these accidents is an increase in poverty and dependency. This is because many of those who perish in road accidents are bread winners of their families.
A study in Pakistan in 2013 revealed that 28 per cent of the persons who are disabled due to road accidents had become unemployable; some had poor visions and other forms of trauma.
Community-based surveys in Asia found that 700,000 children under 18 years of age become permanently disabled as a result of road traffic accidents each year, while over a million are left with temporary disability.
Siku zote bahati yako iko mikononi mwako tu, ili kudhibitisha kuwa ni kweli bofya kwenye picha iliyopo hapa chini.
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