Africa Poised to Accelerate Road Safety Action through the African Road Safety Observatory

Abstract

The African Union Commission (AUC) and the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP, an international partnership administered by the World Bank) with the support of South Africa’s Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (UNECA) hosted the First General Assembly of the African Road Safety Observatory (ARSO) in Durban, South Africa on the 27-28 June 2019. At the inaugural meeting, over 80 road safety leaders from 35 African countries will have the opportunity to discuss and agree on ARSO’s mission and work plan for addressing the growing road safety crisis in Africa. “By centralizing the collection, analysis, and exchange of reliable road accident data, and providing a data-driven platform for identifying the root causes of traffic accidents, ARSO will help African policymakers effectively address and mitigate the key risk factors contributing to the region’s road safety crisis,” said Advocate M.S. Msibi, CEO of RTMC. The establishment of the African Road Safety Observatory also benefited from the support of the World Bank, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the International Transport Forum (ITF). The RTMC is South Africa’s lead agency on road safety responsible for enhancing the overall quality of road traffic service provision and in particular, to ensure safety, security, order, discipline and mobility on the roads. It is further mandated to improve the exchange and dissemination of information on road traffic matters.