Solution to Road Accidents
Let children understand the difference between a footpath and the road
What can be done to reduce road accidents in Uganda by at least 90%?
Many people are seriously injured every week in crashes involving someone who was driving, riding or otherwise using the road.
Accidents suck-up people's ability to work, increases poverty and suffering to the victims and their loved ones.
It is important to tackle road safety from the foundation level.
Road Safety is a wide subject; lessons can not be handled at seminars only. See: The Basic Theory Topics...
The strategies bellow are the foundation features of road safety.
The implementation is pretty cheap and self sustaining but requires only the good will of bureaucrats and the parliament to legislate binding laws.
We encourage road Safety partners to advocate for this approach.
Road crash/Accidents are associated with:
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Lack of Public awareness of the Highway Code (Rules governing the use of Public Road) - Introduce Road Safety as a subject in Schools;
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Road Condition/ environment - Introduce On-Road-Surface Restriction-Markings;
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Vehicle condition - M.O.T. examine and certify vehicles;
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Traffic volume - Traffic Congestion Management;
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Speed & false confidence (Driver control) - Managing Risks to Drivers.
Solution
1.
Introduce Road-safety Education in Schools as a subject right from preschool to University.
Help us to know where we live and how we get to school safely.
This approach will produce quality Traffic officers, traffic guides, trainers, Driver Instructors, online-Traffic monitors, environmentalists etc.
2.
Update the Uganda Highway Code (Rules of the Road) to international standard and avail it free online for the public. This also creates external Jobs to youth drivers.
At present one wonders weather Uganda has a Highway Code because it is scarce.
7.
Increase the number of random breath tests to reduce “Drink and Drive” and Drugs;
A traffic officer testing a driver of excess alcohol & drugs
8. MOT (Ministry of Transport) Cirtificate
There should be citified mechanics (garages) licenced by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to regularly examine and certify vehicles that are:
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Safe for transportation);
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need repair or maintenance or;
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Out Of Service) category.
Vehicles should be inspected every 3 months by a certified Vehicle Mechanic Inspector.
As a guarantee, should a vehicle be involved in a road crash due to mechanical condition, then the certifying garage should partly be responsible for damages for the first 30 days from the date of certification.
3.
Introduce Computerised Theory & Hazard Perception test centres nationwide; to test novice drivers before the Practical Test.
Successful drivers are then given Certificates that qualifies one for the Practical Test on the road.
Traffic offences are recorded against the driver's Certificate/ Permit Number digitally in the data base.
This measure enhances the need to study the Highway Code (Rules of the Road) and; for one to practice the basic skills of a driver before getting on the road for the first time.
4.
Introduce penality points to Drivers' permit record and;
Introduce online information free and easily accessible:
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For employers to check if a driver is legally fit to drive..
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The class of vehicles they can drive,
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any penalty points and or
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disqualifications.
This approach:
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stops offenders to drive without a driver's permit
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To Share a driver's permit or;
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to continue driving even after causing reckless death.
5.
Introduce “Approved Driving Instructors Board” to carefully examine and licence Driver Instructors. As of now any driver in Uganda is an Instructor regardless of the theory knowledge in driving.
Driver Instructors
10.
Enforcement methord
Introduce the Mobile Electronic surveillance system "MESS" versus the corruptible, traditional enforcement method of man power.
9. Tighten the ‘express fine scheme’ to violators of the traffic restrictions and rules and; seize vehicles of defaulters.
People don’t fear the law but fines and loses.
This approach raises the need to abide by the Highway Code.
A traffic officer issuing a fine ticket to a driver
11. Introduce the Sale of Seized Vehicles by Public Auction through contracted companies as total policing.
Solution to Road Accidents
6.
Introduce the ‘On-road surface Traffic restriction markings’ especially in urban centres, to improve the road environment.
Here the Driver's attention concentrates on the road and not at the side looking for singns. This reduces the risk of road crash and injury.
See: The mordern methods of Traffic Restrics...
This 11 point program creates jobs and a huge revenue base in form of fines for the government.
It is cheap to start and requires only the good will of bureaucrats and the Parliament to legislate effective laws to save lives.
See: Solution to Traffic Jam....
The Long term Solution to Traffic Jam & Fatality Risks
