Africa's scenic but perilous roads are one of the continent's major security threats. While the natural landscape may seem like a challenge, the main challenges are related to other factors: African roads record high rates of road traffic deaths and injuries every year.
According to current statistics, 1.3 million motorists are killed in road accidents every year, and between 20 and 50 million are injured, often resulting in disability. These incidents cost 1-3% of GDP. Africa stands out in particular, with one of the highest road fatalities in the world. Most of these fatalities occur in low- and middle-income countries, which own more than 55% of the world's cars, indicating a link between economic conditions and road safety.
By the way, even in more developed countries, people with lower incomes are more likely to be involved in road accidents, emphasizing the social aspects of the road safety problem.
Beitbridge-Harare
The Beitbridge-Harare highway in Zimbabwe, according to the WHO, is located in one of the most dangerous areas in South Africa in terms of accidents. On the roads of this country, terrible statistics are updated every day: accidents happen every 15 minutes, and there are 665 fatalities a year on the road alone. The main problems are related to the limited road infrastructure and the growing number of cars, which leads to congestion of highways and an increase in accidents.
The Beitbridge-Harare highway, the busiest road in Zimbabwe, poses a serious threat to drivers. The lack of road signs, the presence of scrap metal, livestock and pedestrians on the roads exacerbate an already tense situation.
Kampala-Masaka
The Kampala-Masaka road, an important transport artery connecting Kenya, Uganda, the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi, is also known for its high accident rate. Due to frequent accidents, many drivers even attribute what is happening to supernatural forces, but the main cause remains driving errors, including sharp maneuvers and driving into the oncoming lane. Road safety problems are exacerbated by low fines for traffic violations and protracted lawsuits.
And corruption in the field of road construction contributes to the deterioration of the situation with the total amount of losses from corruption schemes, which exceeds $1 billion over the past seven years.
Lagos-Ibadan
The Lagos-Ibadan highway in Nigeria remains one of the country's busiest and most dangerous roads. Due to heavy traffic and frequent traffic violations, this route carries an increased risk of accidents. Statistics over the past year show the seriousness of the situation: dozens of people have died in various road accidents, and this has happened with alarming regularity.
Ongoing repair and construction work on the road creates additional obstacles that increase the danger, especially for large vehicles. In Nigeria, drivers often forget about the need to maintain the technical condition of vehicles, and they drive quite risky. At night, poor road lighting contributes to accidents involving heavy vehicles. Potholes and bumps in the road put a pig when drivers suddenly change direction, creating accidents.
East London-Umtata
The stretch of road between East London and Umtata in South Africa is known for its "bad burrow": passing through mountainous areas and characterized by difficult traffic conditions, it has caused many tragedies.
Non-compliance with traffic rules by local drivers, numerous sharp turns, and lack of proper guardrails make it one of the riskiest places to drive in the region, which has led to the nickname "Road to Hell" for this highway.
Nairobi-Nakuru
The 159km road connecting the Kenyan capital with the city of Nakuru has recently been rehabilitated, but instead of the expected improvement in safety, the number of fatal accidents on this highway has even increased! The reason for this was that many drivers began to see the updated road as a great place to race, which led to an increase in speeding.
Accidents caused by drunk driving, improper overtaking, and pedestrians crossing the road in unintended places are often recorded on this section. Fatalities in the hundreds are in the hundreds, and the number of less serious accidents is so large that it cannot be counted. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of safety barriers, the poor condition of many vehicles and the low level of driving skills. This road has become a symbol of the problems that many countries face when it comes to road safety: despite the improvement of infrastructure, the main risk factors – non-compliance with the speed limit, alcohol behind the wheel and lack of awareness of pedestrians – have not disappeared.
