Introduction/BackgroundAs a result of continuing Road accidents which have cost lives of people, injuries and destruction of properties across the country as Rural Development Volunteers Association Tanzania (RDVA Tazania) we realized we have a role to play to prevent . We have come up with a campaign known as “Ongea Na Dereva Okoa Maisha”. The campaign gives pedestrians, riders and drivers useful information about the risks they face on the road and how they can best manage them. The campaign was developed with support from Students of Sokoine University of Agriculture following regular Road accidents in the Campus.
We are seeing an increasing number of pedestrian deaths, injuries and destruction of properties and more measures must be taken to ensure that road users safety is taken seriously. Increasingly, cyclists and motorcyclists accidents are reported. It is important that the initiatives and campaigns to address this problem not be left to specific people only such as traffic police but the society as whole should participate in order to reduce the problem.Despite a wide range of accidents, prevention measures being undertaken is still not producing promising outcome. Along highways, street roads still accidents are reported, in our homes and communities, children are still being injured and killed in domestic driveways when struck by a vehicle being driven by a parent, career or family friend. “Onge na Dereva Okoa Maisha Campaign” supports measures to reduce the risk of injury to road users including children from vehicles in driveways and is calling for support different stakeholder to support this programs to provide greater education around how to keep road users safe.
Economic Aspects of Accidents
In addition to social consequences, traffic/road accidents also bring about extremely high economic losses for the whole society. Expressing economic losses from traffic accidents based on quantification of direct costs (damages to property, but also health and administrative costs) as well as of indirect costs (given by the losses in production and social expenses). Aside from total losses, average costs are defined for one accident involving a fatal, serious or slight injury or damage to property only.Accident rates in Tanzania
Researches by an NGO, Amend.Org have proved that 3.4 percent of Tanzanians die in road accidents in a year, 75 percent of those stems from reckless driving.
According to statistics by the Traffic Wing of the Tanzania Police Force, there were 3,969 deaths in 2012, while in 4,002 were recorded in 2013 and 3,760 in 2014.
Concerning a number of accidents; a total number of 23,578 in 2012, to be followed by 23,842 in 2013, while there was a slight drop to 14,360 in 2014, at least showing the picture of the last three years.
Goal of the campaignThen overall objective of this campaign is to reduce road accidents caused by drivers themselves
Objectives of the Campaign
1. To engage road users and help change unsafe behavior on the roads, we develop education and awareness campaigns.
2. To warn and remind drivers on road safety rules and regulations
3. To give riders useful information about the risks they face on the road and how they can best manage them
4. To encourage passengers to tell speeding drivers to slow down
5. To highlight the serious consequences of using your mobile phone illegally while driving. Since we understand that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds could cost you, or those you care about, everything highlighting the importance of bus safety for all road users
Expected outcome1. Reduced number of road accidents
2. Change in behavior that causes road accidents especially among drivers and cyclists
3. Increased number of passengers telling speeding drivers to slow downStrategies
In Order to achieve the above mentioned objectives we will use the following strategies in order to achieve the outcome.
1. Each one reach one initiative (man to man). In this strategy each volunteer will talk to driver on road safety
2. The use of posters and banners
3. The use of Mass media and social networks to help us message to have big coverageTarget groups in this campaign
The main target group in this campaign are Motor cyclists (boda-boda) and drivers since they are the main perpetuators. The campaign is a countrywide program but we have started with Morogoro Municipal.