Improving road safety in West Africa

Moves are in hand for improving road safety in West Africa.
By MJ Woof February 18, 2025 Read time: 1 min
Overloading of trucks is a major problem for road safety in West Africa – image courtesy of © Tolu Owoeye| Dreamstime.com


Key moves could help boost road safety across West Africa. A common problem comes from overloaded trucks, with goods often piled high and people even sitting on top. This overloading causes additional road wear and puts both passengers and other road users at considerable risk.

The Union Commission of West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) says that tackling truck overloading and also harmonising road maintenance procedures could help cut crashes on West African roads.

Road safety is a key concern in West Africa. The rate of deaths and serious injuries is unacceptable, which is why UEOMA is keen for new measures to be introduced to address the issue.

 

Road Markings, Barriers & Workzone Protection

Related Content

  • Europe’s road safety picture slanted wrong way?
    May 24, 2016
    The European Commission’s latest figures for road safety reveal some cause for concern across the EU. While the EU has the world’s safest roads overall, the road fatality rate has slipped during 2015. And this is for the second consecutive year also as EU road deaths in 2014 also showed an increase over 2013. By comparison, there were decreases in the European road death rate of 8% in 2012 and 2013.
    Read More
  • Simple road safety measures save lives
    February 15, 2012
    Elementary road safety measures quickly pay back the costs of investment and, more importantly, help save lives as Patrick Smith reports. More than 300 people in the UK are alive today or have avoided the prospect of a lifetime of special care because just 15 roads have had simple improvements put in place.
    Read More
  • Road safety is an EU priority
    March 2, 2012
    The preparation of the new EU Road Safety Policy for the next decade will take place during Spain's presidency of the EU. Patrick Smith reports. An the past 10 years, half a million people have been killed on European Union roads, with road crashes costing an annual €160 billion or 2% the EU's GDP.
    Read More
  • Malaysia’s road safety problem needs addressing
    February 2, 2017
    Malaysia’s road safety problem is a cause for concern. The country’s Transport Ministry has revealed data showing that in 2016, Malaysia figured amongst the countries with the highest rate of road fatalities. The figures show that for every 10,000 registered motor vehicles on Malaysia’s roads, there were 2.55 deaths. One new strategy intended to address the problem being launched by the Transport Ministry is the Malaysia-wide National Blue Ocean Strategy Road Safety Cluster. Meanwhile the Safe Kids Mala
    Read More

Highlighted Content