Compendium of papers : Second African Road Safety Congress, Addis Ababa, 16-20 October 1989

Abstract

The road safety problem has reached crisis proportions from both the social and economic points of view. The fatality rate per vehicle registered on African highways currently ranges from eight to fifty times higher than what is registered in industrialized countries. The first congress gave African road safety officials and technical experts a broad introduction to the various road safety problems. It was clearly demonstrated that road accident causation is a complex matter, and that road accidents have implications in all parts of a nation's social and economic life. A number of experts from the industrialized countries and from developing countries throughout the world presented. Since 1984 many African countries have gained considerable experience in road safety work. It was therefore an aim for the Second African Road Safety Congress to move forward and to present genuine road safety experience gained in Africa. Emphasis was equally put on the possibilities of transfer of experience from the industrialized countries to developing countries, and between African countries. It was also an aim for the congress to explore the possibilities of financing road safety activities through bilateral and multilateral agreements as well as through national financial arrangements. The possibilities of sub regional cooperation and exchange of data and experience was emphasized.