Peter Kenny
Todt visited the West African country from Feb. 29 to March
3 to support national authorities' road safety initiatives along with the
launch of the global campaign.
“Africa is the continent most affected by road accidents,”
said Todt in a statement.
“Yet, we have the prescription to end the carnage on our
roads. Therefore, I call on national and local authorities, international
partners, civil society, and every citizen to take action to bring about an
essential change so that road safety becomes a priority for everyone.”
Under the slogan “#MakeASafetyStatement,” the campaign
brings together celebrities worldwide, including former Ivorian football star
Didier Drogba and Senegalese singer, songwriter, and musician Youssou N’Dour.
They want to encourage road users to adopt simple, effective
rules to keep their roads safe.
Konnie Touré - radio host, producer, actress - featured on a
poster promoting the #MakeASafetyStatement campaign launched by the United
Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, in Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
Todt's visit coincided with the recent release of the Global
Status Report on Road Safety 2023 from the World Health Organization (WHO) on
road safety, highlighting that Africa remains the region most affected by this
tragedy.
According to the new WHO report, the figures for victims on
African roads continue to grow, with a mortality rate of 19 per 100,000 people,
against 7 for every 100,000 people in Europe.
In Côte d'Ivoire, there are 21 deaths per 100,000 people.
Road crashes are also the primary cause of death among young people aged 5 to
29.
According to the World Bank, road crash costs represent 7.8%
of Ivory Coast's GDP.
During his previous visit to Côte d'Ivoire in May 2023, Todt
and Transport Minister Amadou Koné undertook to step up road safety awareness
initiatives.
The launch of the UN campaign in Africa on March 2 and 3 is
part of efforts to raise public awareness of life-saving gestures on the road.
"This awareness-raising effort will cover the whole of
Côte d'Ivoire. "Thanks to a global partnership with JCDecaux, the campaign
will appear on billboards and in public places in around 1,000 cities in 80
countries by the end of 2025," said the campaign organizers.
United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt and
Ivorian Transport Minister Amadou Koné launching the #MakeASafetyStatement
campaign.
This campaign aims to raise awareness among national and
local authorities, international partners active in West Africa, and the
general public, especially young people, on the need to invest more in road
safety.
It aims to bring about a radical change by making mobility
and safety issues central to everyone's daily concerns.
The event is an essential step taken by the Ivorian
authorities, demonstrating a commitment at the national level to implement the
national “Stop recklessness on the roads” campaign and promote international
leadership by inviting other countries in the region to invest more in road
safety.
“Collecting accident data is an important step towards a
more informed and targeted approach to road safety. Accurate, up-to-date data
is essential for understanding trends, identifying hotspots, and developing
policies based on solid evidence”, Amadou Koné, the Côte d’Ivoire transport
minister, stressed.
Recent bus accidents in Côte d’Ivoire have highlighted the
run-down state of Africa’s vehicle fleet.
The campaign organizers say that failure to comply with the
Highway Code and enforce penalties are significant causes of accidents.