Car Accident Kills 13 People Daily, Report Reveals

ADDIS ABABA – At least 13 people die in road traffic accidents in Ethiopia each day, a new report revealed on Tuesday.

In terms of region, the research also says about 85% of all road traffic accidents occur in three regions – Oromia, Amhara, and SNNP regional states – and in Addis Ababa city.

Drivers’ and pedestrians’ lack of awareness, poor technical inspections of vehicles, older vehicles, problems related to driving licenses, and poor road quality were mentioned as the main cause of road accidents.

The outcome of the research was a subject of discussion in a meeting with the ministry of transport organized in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Cooperation for Africa (ECA).

Ethiopia’s road network increased from 26,550 km in 1997 to 126,773 km in 2018.

Likewise, the number of vehicles in the country increased from 244,257 in 2007 to 708,416 in 2016, an increase of 190%, according to the report.

The reported road crash fatalities in Ethiopia have increased from 2517 in 2006 to 4352 in 2016 – an increase of 72%.

WHO estimates the number of fatalities in 2016 to be 27,326 – which is 6 times higher than the reported figure, underscoring the enormity of road safety data challenges in the country.

“A combination of improved road coverage, ride quality, and vehicle ownership may have the unintended consequence of the increased number of crashes, leading to more injuries and deaths on Ethiopia’s roads – especially if growth in the road network and vehicle ownership are not accompanied by appropriate road safety measures,” said Stephen Karingi, Officer in Charge of the Private Sector Development and Finance Division of ECA.

Recommendations of the validation workshop will be used to finalize the report of the road safety performance review of Ethiopia.

Its findings would also be used as input for the activities that the Ministry is carrying out in partnership with the community to reduce road accidents, said Mulu Gebre-Egziabher, State Minister of Transport.

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Image: State Minister of Transport Mulu GebreEgziabher (Photo MoT)