Sierra Leone: Poor Road Management Responsible For 80,000 Child Accidents- SLRSA

The Director-General of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), Dr Sarah Bendu has confirmed that 80,000 children die globally as a result of poor road management.
She made this confirmation in a recent interview where she also disclosed plans by the Authority to put together a national road safety strategy which will strengthen and improve road safety management, especially children between age 5-15 and young people 15- 25 who are always caught up in road fatalities.

Dr. Bendu explained that poor road network as well as management is responsible for the many road accidents around the world and Sierra Leone is no exception, which is as a result of limited sidewalks for pedestrians and poor road signs with interjections.
Over the years, Madam Bendu said significant strides have been made by the SLRSA to improve on road safety and management through series of public education and awareness for both pedestrians and vehicle road users on the need to use the road in a manner that will not put peoples’lives, especially children at risk when using the road.

On the way forward, Dr Sarah Bendu stated that because the world is now a global village, there is a need to collaborate with other road safety authorities around the world and other partners involved in road use in order to improve on road safety management in a well-coordinated manner in terms of dealing with both public and private transport sectors, including modern technology methodologies, such as visible road signs, speed limit and alcohol tracking devices, a robust vehicle examination and fitness centre, solar CCTV and traffic light system, an improved decentralized licensees operation, ticketing process as well as a well-trained and disciplined warden service.
All these, she maintained, will be included in the road safety strategy for an improved road safety management.