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Traffic injuries threaten the economy and future in Lesotho
All those who are killed, injured or suffer lasting ill effects in
road accidents have a network of family and friends who are also
affected. In Lesotho the dangerous nature of road traffic is a serious
and rapidly growing social problem, because those most severely affected
are in the 18-44 age group which is the group involved in building up
the country’s economy and future. Speeding, lack of respect for the law
and fellow road users, failure to use seat belts and drunken driving are
causing the accident figures to rise at a tragically high rate. With the
exception of Ethiopia proportionally more people are killed in traffic
in Lesotho than in any other African country.
Lesotho is
entirely surrounded by its neighbour South Africa and has approximately
2.2 million inhabitants. Two-thirds of the country is mountainous and
inaccessible, with a road network of varying quality. Large parts of the
country are therefore thinly populated, with the towns concentrated at
the lower levels.
In order to be able to take the right measures
in the right places the responsible authorities need access to
statistics and an efficient national accident database, something that
today’s system does not provide. The software is difficult to use, the
analytical tools are unsophisticated and Internet connections are
unreliable. Obtaining properly completed police reports – on whose data
the whole database depends – is a major problem.
“Funds
have hitherto been an obstacle to the creation of an effective database,
but with fresh money from the World Bank we have every hope of being
able to complete our project, even if it will take time,” says Phumla
Moleko, information officer at the Ministry of Road Transport.
The
education programme has given Phumla Moleko insight into the many
aspects of road safety work.
“I can now relate to everything from
technical aspects to training and traffic studies. Having a broad
practical knowledge of, for example, how a road safety audit is
performed will make my work a lot easier. The programme has made stern
demands and has not always been easy, but I really have learnt a great
deal!”
One important task is to improve ministerial
relations with the police and to ensure that reports are completed and
dispatched for analysis and input into the database.
“The form
that the police have to fill in must be supplemented and above all it
must ask the right questions,” says Thapelo Mahase, who together with
his superior Kinini Mathews is working to investigate the underlying
causes of accidents that occur.
“Statistics are our most
important tool for identifying problem areas, and the road safety
education has really emphasized the importance of a good system. More
than ever I have realized why work on road safety problems is so
important.
The programme has also given Phumla Moleko and Thapelo
Mahase a great deal on a personal level.
“Gaining new friends
from all over Africa has been an experience. I have learned from the
other participants and I have made new contacts who I know are working
on the same questions. I know who I can e-mail and ask if I am wondering
about a particular problem,” says Phumla Moleko.
Page Manager: Deana Nannskog
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Publisher: LUCE
Last modified 10 Sep 2010
