Road Safety Week |15 November 2022
PS Andre (right) speaking during the official launch of Road Safety Week
Authorities urge responsibility towards reducing 40% increase in fatal accidents
This year alone, there has been a substantial increase of about 40 percent in fatal accidents as compared to last year, with a vast proportion involving young people, especially motorcycle and scooter riders.
Principal secretary for transport Patrick Andre, who is also the chair of the Road Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), during his remarks at the official launch of Road Safety Week yesterday morning, attributed the alarming rate to the increase in movement since the removal of Covid restrictions, drunk driving, substance abuse, speeding, and reckless and negligent driving and riding.
“We are very concerned about this turn of events. People using the road has to be more conscious of the risk and dangers out there,” Mr Andre noted.
The theme for this year is ‘Act responsibly on the road for the safety of everybody’, which is to be launched as a campaign, emphasising the importance of acting responsibly, and to equip road users with more knowledge and the necessary skills to be able to protect themselves and others.
PS Andre further noted that the department of transport will be reviewing its strategy towards road safety, departing from the old way of designing roads, towards adopting the safe system approach, involving designing roads to adapt to how people behave.
Furthermore, the authority intends on pushing for Seychelles to accede to the United Nations Road Safety Conventions, and to implement the recommendations of the resolutions.
“Additionally, we need to come forward with the drive to succeed in this fight for road safety as we continuously find ways to improve in all aspects, from improvements in the design of roads and the type of vehicles we allow on our roads, to the enhancement of laws and law enforcement on behavioural risks such as speeding; and provision for other important lifesaving acts,” he added.
To commemorate Road Safety Week, observed from November 14 to 19, there are many more activities, comprising mainly sensitisation for all road users.
Following the launch ceremony yesterday morning, a training session was held for driving instructors as well as an open day at the Vehicle Testing Station for students. The open day and workshop will continue through to Wednesday where a mass in remembrance of accident victims is scheduled at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception.
In a bid to engage the youths, a youth forum will take place on Thursday, in collaboration with the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC). The forum will be followed by the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MoU), with SNYC and the Ministry of Education.
Friday will see a drivers’ awareness training, before the week ends on a high note on Saturday with a road show at the Seychelles Post Office.
The RSAC will also be launching its Communication Road Safety Plan 2023 – 2025 in January. This programme will set out the plan for improving road safety for the next three years, which aims at reducing fatal and general accidents by 50 percent to meet with our global targets by 2030 in line with the decade of action 2021 to 2030.
Laura Pillay