Experts urge use of digital technology to improve road safety

Addis Ababa, 9 December 2024 (ECA) - Experts and stakeholders gathered online on 9 December 2024 for a continental workshop to explore how digitalization and emerging technologies can improve road safety across Africa.

Organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the International Road Federation (IRF), the workshop brought together key players from across the continent and beyond to address the urgent challenges posed by road traffic fatalities.

In his opening remarks, Robert Lisinge, Director of the Technology, Innovation, Connectivity, and Infrastructure Development Division at ECA, highlighted the limitations of current road safety management systems in Africa.

"Current road safety management systems in Africa predominantly depend on manual data collection, visual inspections, and subjective expert assessments, rendering them costly, time-consuming, and ineffective due to under-reporting and poor-quality data," said Mr. Lisinge.

He stressed the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other frontier technologies to revolutionize road safety management.

Philip Wijers, representing IRF Global, drew attention to the severe impact of road crashes on African communities, stating "Africa experiences the highest incidence of road traffic fatalities, with a rate of 19.5 deaths per 100,000 individuals, in contrast to 16 deaths per 100,000 in Southeast Asia and 6.5 deaths per 100,000 in Europe."

Mr Wijers emphasized the importance of leveraging innovation and fostering collaboration among stakeholders to tackle road deaths and injuries.

Workshop participants acknowledged that Africa lags behind other regions in road safety performance. They stressed that the ongoing digital transformation of the transport sector offers a unique opportunity to integrate safety, efficiency, and sustainability into road safety systems. By adopting digital tools, Africa can significantly improve the implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030).

The workshop brought together representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC), European Union, University of Rome, experts from African countries, and civil society organizations. Together, they explored strategies to harness digital solutions to address road safety challenges, particularly focusing on data-driven approaches, advanced analytics, and emerging technologies.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: [email protected]