23 November 2021 – Arusha: Globally, over 3500 people die every day on the roads, which amounts to nearly 1.3 million preventable deaths and an estimated 50 million injuries each year – making it the leading killer of children and young people worldwide. As things stand, they are set to cause a further estimated 13 million deaths and 500 million injuries during the next decade, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. These are unacceptable numbers, both in absolute and relative terms. Road traffic crashes have remained a major cause of death globally, even though every one of those deaths and injuries is preventable.

Following release of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action in October 2021, the Tanzania National Road Safety Council has embarked on developing a 10-year national roadmap adopting recommendations outlined in the global plan. This commitment was made during a stakeholder consultative meeting convened by the Council as part of the National Road Safety Week commemorations held in Arusha under the theme – “Take Care of Your Life and Others on the Road".     

Her Excellency the President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan graced the opening  of the national event and was handed the Global Plan by Mr. Maximillian Mapunda on behalf of the WHO Country Reprentative.

“This Plan aligns with the Stockholm Declaration, by emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to road safety. It should be used as a blueprint to inform and inspire national plans that are tailored to local contexts, available resources, and capacity. It is our hope that the plan will also inspire continued improvements in the design of roads and vehicles; enhancement of laws and law enforcement; and provision of timely, life-saving emergency care for the injured”, said Mr. Mapunda on presenting the plan to the Head of State.

Receiving the plan, the Head of State said that the government is committed to set aside funds to support road safety activities in the country. Her Excellency advised the police to use advanced techniques and technology to strengthen law enforcements rather than old methods which require more human resource and time. She urged the National Road Safety Council and the Police to collaborate with the academia and transport institutions to undertake local research to create evidence-based solutions to address road safety challenges in the country.

Speaking at the consultative meeting, the Chairperson of the National Road Safety Council and Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Hon. Hamza Khamis Chilo said, “proposals in the global plan make a lot of sense for our context. We need to adapt them to our situation and engage all relevant stakeholders to develop a plan that builds on the successes and lessons of previous years to save more lives”.

Since 2015, WHO through the Global Road Safety Programme has been instrumental in advocating for the adoption of comprehensive legislative and policy frameworks for road traffic injury prevention.  Through WHO support, the country has reviewed its Road Traffic Act and proposed amendments to address risks factors such as speeding, drinking and driving, use of seatbelts, motorcycle helmets and child restraints. Working closely with key actors including the police, lawyers, journalists and civil society, members of parliament have been sensitized to support the road safety agenda in parliament.