AU seeks better road safety data to reduce traffic fatalities

The appeal was made by AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Lerato D. Mataboge, in a video message delivered on Sunday to mark Africa Road Safety Day, observed alongside the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

The day recognises victims of road crashes, people living with permanent or temporary injuries and families whose lives have been affected by road tragedies.

Mataboge said road safety remained a major challenge across Africa but noted that the continent had an opportunity to address the problem through stronger institutions, better policies and sustained investment.

She singled out the African Road Safety Observatory as an important platform for improving the collection, sharing and analysis of road safety information across Member States.

Hosted by the African Union Commission, the Observatory brings together national data through designated National Data Coordinators. The system is intended to strengthen evidence-based planning and help governments assess the effectiveness of road safety interventions.

The Commissioner also called for increased investment in emergency response and post-crash care, noting that improving assistance to victims is an important part of the continental road safety agenda.

Her message further urged Member States to accelerate the ratification and domestication of the African Road Safety Charter, which came into force on March 12, 2026.

The Charter establishes Africa’s first binding continental framework dedicated to road safety and provides a basis for coordinated national action.

Through its Department of Infrastructure and Energy, the African Union is working with Member States to achieve the Agenda 2063 target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent by 2030.

Mataboge said the continent must treat road safety as a shared responsibility, stressing the importance of ensuring that every journey ends safely.