400m World Champion Amantle Montsho at the Botswana national stadium
Leading members of national road safety councils from across Africa, senior government officials, African auto association executives and private sector representatives have met in Botswana to take the UN Decade of Action agenda forward.
The Decade of Action Consultative Conference held on 6 September in Gaborone, Botswana was opened by FIA President Jean Todt together with Botswana’s Minister for Transport and Communication , Hon. Frank Ramsden. Also representing the Government of Botswana, Director of Road Safety Orapeleng Mosigi outlined the country’s Decade of Action plans.
The conference was organised by the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund and Emergency Assist 991 Botswana, which is an FIA member club. David Njoroge, Director General of AA Kenya and member of his country’s Road Safety Council chaired the conference.
Botswana currently has a high road traffic fatality rate at 33.8/100,000 population – just above average for Africa. Road Safety Director Mosigi outlined his country’s plans to tackle the crisis:
“The launch of the Decade of Action in Botswana has itself been a great achievement. We now have a strategic plan for road safety where we didn’t have one before. We are aiming for a 50% reduction in fatalities by 2020, but hopefully we will even exceed this target.”
Over the past year with improved law enforcement the fatality total in Botswana has been reduced from 475 to 397 deaths.
Botswana is also due to start working with the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which is planning to analyse the economic cost of crash related injuries and to run a road user attitude survey to help with the planning of future road safety initiatives.
At the conference the private sector was represented by a range of national and international companies from a variety of different industries including construction, telecommunications and transport. Other African auto clubs involved included AA Uganda, AA Mozambique and AA Zimbabwe.
Following the conference, Botswana’s athletics World Champion Amantle Montsho gave her backing to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. Montsho won the 400m at the athletics World Championships in August 2011. She will be a favourite for Olympic gold next year.