2019 Zambia Annual Road Traffic Crash Statistics Report

RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT The Road Transport and Safety Agency 2019 ANNUAL ROAD TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT askrtsa @askrtsa [email protected] 0965 429499 Toll Free 98 0955 983 983 The Road Transport and Safety Agency 1 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 2 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT The Road Transport and Safety Agency 2019 ANNUAL ROAD TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT The Road Transport and Safety Agency i RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Contents Executive Summary___________________________________________________________ vi Definition of Key Concepts _____________________________________________________ ix 1.0 INTRODUCTION ________________________________________________________ 1 2.0 MEASURES TAKEN BY THE ROAD TRANSPORT AND SAFETY AGENCY IN REDUCING ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ________________________________________________ 3 2.1 Road Safety Audits and Inspections ____________________________________________ 3 2.2 Traffic Law Enforcement ______________________________________________________ 3 2.3 Road Safety School Programs _________________________________________________ 4 2.4 Road Safety Awareness During Annual Events ___________________________________ 4 2.4.1 Traditional Ceremonies ______________________________________________________________ 4 2.4.2 Choova Cycling Contest______________________________________________________________ 5 2.5 Launch of the Revised Highway Code – 6th Edition _______________________________ 5 2.6 Road Safety Commemorations ________________________________________________ 5 2.6.1 United Nations (UN) Road Safety Week ________________________________________________ 5 2.6.2 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims_____________________________________ 6 2.6.3 Road Safety Week ___________________________________________________________________ 7 BOX 4: UN Global Road Safety Performance Targets ________________________________ 8 3.0 NATURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS _______________________ 9 3.1 CLASSIFICATION OF CRASHES BY SEVERITY _____________________________________ 9 3.2 CRASHES PER PROVINCE ____________________________________________________ 10 3.3 URBAN RTC’S, RURAL RTC’S AND FATALITIES COMPARED_________________________ 12 3.4 Monthly and Quarterly Crasher ______________________________________________ 13 3.4.1 Crashes by month __________________________________________________________________ 13 3.4.2 Crashes by Quarter _________________________________________________________________ 14 3.5 MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS AND HUMAN POPULATION_____________________ 14 3.5.1 Human Population _________________________________________________________________ 14 3.5.2 Motor Vehicle Population ___________________________________________________________ 15 3.6 TRENDS IN CRASHES ________________________________________________________ 16 ii The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 3.6.1 Road Traffic Crashes ________________________________________________________________ 16 3.6.2 Road Traffic Fatalities _______________________________________________________________ 17 3.6.3 Crash Rates Per Human and Vehicle Population ________________________________________ 17 3.7 TYPES OF MOTOR VEHICLES _________________________________________________ 18 3.8 RTC TIME OF DAY ___________________________________________________________ 19 3.9 RTC DAY OF THE WEEK ______________________________________________________ 19 4.0 CASUALTIES __________________________________________________________ 21 4.1 FATALITIES ________________________________________________________________ 21 4.1.1 FATALITIES BY PROVINCE ____________________________________________________________ 21 4.1.2 FATALITIES BY ROAD USER TYPE ______________________________________________________ 23 4.2 SERIOUS INJURIES __________________________________________________________ 26 4.2.1 SERIOUS INJURIES BY PROVINCE _____________________________________________________ 26 4.2.2 SERIOUS INJURIES BY ROAD USER TYPE _______________________________________________ 26 4.3 SLIGHT INJURIES ___________________________________________________________ 27 4.3.1 SLIGHT INJURIES BY PROVINCE ______________________________________________________ 27 4.3.2 SLIGHT INJURIES BY ROAD USER TYPE ________________________________________________ 28 4.4 CHILDREN CASUALTIES ______________________________________________________ 29 5.0 CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS _______________________________________________ 32 5.1 HUMAN ERROR ____________________________________________________________ 32 5.1.1 DRIVER ERRORS ____________________________________________________________________ 33 5.1.2 PEDESTRIAN ERRORS _______________________________________________________________ 33 5.1.3 PASSENGER ERROR _________________________________________________________________ 34 5.1.4 CYCLIST ERRORS ___________________________________________________________________ 34 5.2 MOTOR VEHICLE DEFECTS ___________________________________________________ 35 5.3 4.3 WANDERING ANIMALS ___________________________________________________ 36 5.4 WEATHER CONDITIONS _____________________________________________________ 36 5.5 Road Conditions ___________________________________________________________ 36 6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS ___________________________________________________ 37 The Road Transport and Safety Agency iii RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Foreword 3.6 : By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents R oad traffic crash fatalities and injuries are a global public health concern and Zambia is no exception to this global pandemic. The 2018 WHO global status report on road safety revealed that 1.35 million lives are lost globally as a result of road traffic accidents each year. Although Zambia has recorded a reduction in number of fatalities and stability in road traffic crashes in three recent successive years, road traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries are still unacceptably high on Zambian roads, hence making it impossible to meet the UN global decade of action on road safety, SDG 3.6 and 7NDP whose objectives are to reduce road traffic fatalities by 50% by 2020. Most road traffic crashes are not ”accidents” as they are predictable and preventable. Given what we now know about the problem, the fight against this scourge is achievable. Strong policies and legislations, smart road designs for all road users, well-enforced road safety laws on speeding, drinking and driving, and use of seatbelts, child restraints and motorcycle helmets, massive target oriented public awareness campaigns, safer vehicles and improved emergency care services can save thousands of lives in Zambia. 11.2: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 7NDP 2017- 2021: 7.9 Development outcome 6: improved transport systems and infrastructure 1,746 Fatalities Number of fatalities reduced by 4% from 1,817 in 2018 to 1,746 in 2019 Pedestrians 46.5% The successive reduction in fatalities recorded in 2017, 2018 and 2019 was attributed to a consortium of target oriented road safety interventions implemented by the Agency and support from stakeholders. Pedestrians are the most vulnerable users, accounted for 46.5% Pedestrians have continued to lead the echelon of road traffic casualties, with a larger proportion recorded in rural areas. So far, predominantly, human error has been the leading cause of crashes. Human error 87.7% Let me now invite you to read the 2019 annual status report on road traffic crashes in Zambia. Gladwell Banda, FCILT Director and Chief Executive Officer ROAD TRANSPORT AND SAFETY AGENCY iv Human error predominantly leading cause of RTCs accounting 87.7% Inter-urban roads fatalities 59% A larger proportion of fatalities were recorded in inter-urban roads accounting for 59% The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT EDITORIAL TEAM Chuncky Kanchele Head Planning, Research and Development. Email: [email protected] Moses Mwale Research and Evaluation Officer. Email: [email protected] Silvia Hatoongo Intern Jimmy Mwenda Intern David Chibwe Intern The Road Transport and Safety Agency v RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Executive Summary Road traffic crashes are a growing public health concern globally and they disproportionality affect the poor and vulnerable sections of society. Most road traffic crashes (RTCs) are both predictable and preventable. There is considerable evidence that various measures and interventions being put in place by various stake-holders in the road sector are making our roads safer. This report gives an analysis of road traffic crashes in Zambia from the period of 1st January to 31st December 2019. Data collected by the Zambia Police Service revealed that a total 30,648 road traffic crashes were recorded countrywide. This number represents a 0.013% decline from the 30,652 crashes which occurred in the year in 2018. Lusaka province contributed 16,596 RTCs accounting for 54% of the total crashes recorded. Copperbelt province contributed 17% while the rest of the country contributed 29%. A total of 14,907 casualties were recorded, of which 11% were fatal, 33% were seriously injured and 55% sustained slight injuries. A total of 1,746 men, women and children lost their lives on our roads in the year 2019. The number of fatalities in 2019 declined by 4% from the 1,817 deaths recorded in 2018. Of these fatalities, 59% were recorded in rural areas while urban areas accounted for 41%. It is worth pointing out that the risk of being in a fatal collision in a rural area is significantly higher than it is in urban areas. The data also revealed that almost half of all fatalities were among pedestrians. The report further highlights that 39% of RTCs in 2019 occurred at night between 18:00hrs and 07:00hrs and 48% occur on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The factors which contributed to the RTCs fall into five categories; human error (87.7%), wandering animals (1.4%), motor vehicle defects (1.2%), road defects (0.3%) and weather condition (0.1%). The top five driver errors were excessive speed, misjudging clearance distance, failing to keep to near side, cutting in and reversing negligently. Driver error continues to be the leading factor, accounting for 81% of all RTC’s. Top drivers’ errors include; failing to keep to the near side of the lane, excessive speed, misjudging clearance distance, cutting-in and reversing negligently. There is need for more research, education and awareness campaigns targeted at changing driver behavior if we are to reduce the number of crashes on our roads. With the year 2020 quickly approaching, there in need for the country to conduct an evaluation of its road safety performance in the UN Decade of Action in order to set a new road safety agenda for the next decade. vi The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT The Road Transport and Safety Agency vii RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT viii The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Definition of Key Concepts Bus: Includes ‘State Transit Authority’ bus and long distance/tourist coach. Car: Includes sedan, station wagon, utility (based on car design), panel van (based on car design), coupe, hatchback, sports car, passenger van and four wheel drive passenger vehicle. Casualty: Any person killed or injured as a result of a crash. Casualty: Any road user involved in a road crash or an accident. Damages only: Road Traffic Crashes which do not involve any bodily harm. Driver: A controller of a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle. Fatal crash: A crash for which there is at least one fatality. Fatality: A person who dies within 30 days of a crash as a result of injuries received in that crash. Fatality: A death occurring as a result of road traffic crash or an accident. Heavy rigid truck: Comprised of rigid lorry and rigid tanker with a tare weight in excess of 4.5 tones. Heavy truck: Comprised of heavy rigid truck and articulated truck. Injured: A person who is injured as a result of a crash, and who does not die as a result of those injuries within 30 days of the crash. Killed: See Fatality. Light truck: Includes panel van (not based on car design), utility (not based on car design) and mobile vending vehicle. Motor vehicle: Any road vehicle which is mechanically or electrically powered but not operated on rails. Motorcycle Driver: A person occupying the controlling position of a motorcycle. Motorcycle passenger: A person on but not controlling a motorcycle. Motorcycle: Any mechanically or electrically propelled two or three-wheeled machine with or without side-car. Includes solo motorcycle, motorcycle with sidecar, motor scooter, mini-bike, three-wheeled special mobility vehicle and moped (motorized ‘pedal cycle’). The Road Transport and Safety Agency ix RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Passenger: Any person, other than the controller, who is in, on, boarding, entering, alighting or falling from a road vehicle at the time of the crash, provided a portion of the person is in/on the road vehicle. Pedal cycle Any two or threewheeled device operated solely by pedals and propelled by human power except toy vehicles or other pedestrian conveyances. Includes bicycles with side-car, trailer or training wheels attached. Pedal cycle Driver: A person occupying the controlling position of a pedal cycle. Pedal cycle passenger: A person on but not controlling a pedal cycle. Pedestrian: Any person who is not, boarding, entering, alighting or falling from a road vehicle at the time of the crash. Road Traffic Crash: Any apparently unpremeditated event reported to the police and resulting in death, injury or property damage attributable to the movement of a road vehicle on a road. Road users: These include all motor vehicle drivers, pedestrians, passengers (motor vehicle, motor cycle and bicycle), motor cycle drivers and cyclists. Rural accidents: Accidents or crashes occurring outside a radius of 10Km of a Municipal or Township Council. Serious injury: An injury of severe nature arising from a road traffic crash or accident that usually requires emergency evacuation to a nearest or specialised hospital or health centre. Slight injury: An injury of less severity in nature arising from a road traffic crash or an accident that is usually in the category of minor bruises which do not lead to evacuation to a nearest specialised hospitalisation or health centre. Urban accidents: Accidents or crashes occurring within a radius of 10Km of a Municipal or Township Council. Vulnerable road Users: These include all road users’ pedestrians such as children, the disabled, the aged, the insane and cyclists who are always competing for road usage with motorists. x The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 1.0 INTRODUCTION Globally, road traffic crashes are the eighth leading cause of death and the number one cause of death for people aged between 15 to 29 years. It is the eighth leading cause of death for all age groups surpassing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and diarrhoeal diseases. The Global Status Report produced by the World Health Organisation estimates that over 1.35 million lives are lost every year on the world’s roads and another 50 million people are injured. Low- and middle-income countries account for 60 percent of the world’s registered vehicles but more than 90 percent of the world’s road traffic deaths. Each year, road traffic injuries cost $518 billion USD worldwide and $65 billion USD in low- and middle-income countries, which exceeds the total amount that these countries receive in development assistance. The increased burden from road traffic injuries and deaths is partly due to economic development, which has led to an increased number of vehicles on the road. Given that air and rail transport are either expensive or unavailable in many African countries, the only widely available and affordable means of mobility in the region is road transport. The road infrastructure in many African countries has not improved to the same level to accommodate the increased number of commuters and ensure their safety and as such many people are exposed daily to an unsafe road environment. In order to increase road safety activities conducted at the national, regional and global levels, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the period 2011 to 2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety whose goal is to stabilize and then reduce the forecast level of road traffic fatalities around the world. The United Nations appealed to Member States, civil society, organizations, private and public sector to ensure that the Decade of Action for Road Safety leads to a real improvement. National Activities Pillar 1 Road safety management Pillar 2 Safer roads and mobility Pillar 3 Safer vehicles Pillar 4 Safer road users Pillar 5 Post-crash response International coordination of activities Table 1: The Five Pillars of the Safe System Approach In 2015 the United Nations General Assembly adopted “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. In this Agenda, Road safety is explicitly addressed in two of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), namely Goal 3 with target 3.6 and Goal 11 with target 11.2. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 1 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Table 2: Road Safety Goals and Target in the SDG’s Goals 3: ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 11: make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable Targets 3.6: by 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents. 11.2: by 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women and children, persons with disabilities and older persons. These two goals are a strong mandate for action to promote road safety. In particular, the ambitious target for 50% reductions of both road crash fatalities and injuries is a significant challenge to all governments and other stakeholders worldwide. Zambia has experienced growth in both the human and motor vehicle population over the last decade. On average, about 45,000 motor vehicles have been registered in Zambia every year from 2006 to 2019. In 2006 the motor vehicle fleet in Zambia stood at 183,701. This figure increased by 388% to 822,882 in 2019. The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) was established through an act of parliament under the Road Traffic Act number 11 of 2002 under the Ministry of Transport and Communications. RTSA is a corporate body responsible for implementing the Policy on road transport and traffic management, Road Safety and enforcement of road transport and safety laws in Zambia. For the purpose of ensuring safety for all road users, the RTSA has the enforcement, Road safety Engineering, Education and Publicity units as well as the Research and Statistics units in place that take care of road user needs. The Enforcement unit enforce road traffic and safety rules, laws and regulations of Zambia to all Zambian road users through motorized patrols and mounting check points randomly. The Education and Publicity unit conduct awareness campaigns to all road users to change road user behavior and attitude, nurture the level of knowledge in order to escalate road safety. The Road Safety Engineering unit conducts routine road safety audits to ensure that all roads are safe for all road users. The Research and Statistics unit undertakes various research activities with a view of monitoring and establishing the extent of road user safety. This report presents statistics on the road traffic crashes recorded in Zambia in the Year 2019. It also highlights the measures that the Agency is putting in place to mitigate road traffic crashes and makes some recommendation on measures and interventions which need to be taken. 2 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 2.0 MEASURES TAKEN BY THE ROAD TRANSPORT AND SAFETY AGENCY IN REDUCING ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS 2.1 Road Safety Audits and Inspections A Road Safety Audit (RSA) is the formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team. Road Safety Audits aim to 1) identify the elements of the road that may present a safety concern: to what extent, to which road users, and under what circumstances and 2) to explore opportunities that exist to eliminate or mitigate the identified safety concerns. During the year under review, the Agency provided comments on the following Road Design Reports. i. Design Review and Construction Supervision for the Upgrading of Isoka-Muyombe-ChamaLundazi Road to Bituminous Standard in Eastern Province: Lot 5 - Lundazi (D103/D109 Junction to Km 40 on D103) and 16km Of Lusuntha Border Road (D109) - (56 Km); And Lot4 - Chama (Muyombe Road Junction) - Lundazi (Km 40+000 on D103) - (84 Km); and ii. The Feasibility Study and Detailed Design for the 84km Samfya Katanshya-Mpata (D449/ D450) and Katanshya-Chinsanka Roads. iii. Preliminary Design Report for the Upgrading of 170km of Nseluka (D3/M1 Junction) to Kayambi to D3/D1 Junction in Northern Province for a road safety review. The major issue arising from the review were inadequacies in facilities for vulnerable road users. A Road Safety Inspection (RSI) is an on-site systematic review of an existing road or section of road to identify hazardous conditions, faults, deficiencies that may lead to serious accidents. During the quarter under review the Agency conducted for the Pre – Conceptual Design Road Safety Inspections of proposed projects under the Improved Rural Connectivity Project supported by the World Bank Group. The Agency further conducted a Road Safety Inspection of the crash prone section of the T3 Road between Mpongwe Turnoff and Ndola, whose major findings were the deep routing, polished road surface in some sections and lack of appropriate road traffic signage. The Agency also carried out Road Safety Inspections at selected Toll Stations operated by National Road Fund Agency. 2.2 Traffic Law Enforcement The Agency conducts various traffic law enforcement to promote road safety for all road users by ensuring that road traffic regulations are not flouted with impunity, this is done through the implementation of the Road Traffic Act No.11 of 2002, of the laws of Zambia. An Overall total of 70,975 traffic offences were recorded in 2019. From the overall total, 52,982 offences were recorded from the daily stations operations during the year compared with 49,988 overall offences and 34,089 offences recorded from daily stations operations in 2018 and 40,825 offences in 2017. Comparing 2019 with 2018, an increase in the number of traffic offences of 20,987 was recorded. In order to ensure ongoing compliance by motorists the Enforcement department conducted various highway operations during the year. In order to ensure ongoing compliance by motorists the Enforcement department conducted Six Joint Highway Patrols recording a total of 17,993 offences and generating ZMW 2,689,090.00. During the year 2019 the Lusaka fast track court dealt with 11,126 traffic offences compared with 6,715 traffic offences in 2018 and 3,696 traffic offences in 2017. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 3 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 2.3 Road Safety School Programs Child pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users as they have a tendency to dash across roads when crossing. Those of school-going age are placed at a higher risk as a result of exposure to different traffic conditions as they move to and from schools unsupervised. The transport system and road environment is dangerous because children at that age tend to loiter or rather wander on the roads without taking time to understand the complexities of different traffic situations. They are also vulnerable as passengers because they have little or no control over the persons operating the vehicles they are in. It is against this background that the Education Unit conducted school road safety education activities which were aimed at training and preparing children to become safety conscious road users. The education and publicity unit has the following programs; i. Road Safety Clubs/Traffic Warden Schemes ii. Road Safety Sensitization at Schools iii. Sensitization at Intercity Bus Terminus iv. Road Safety School Park 2.4 Road Safety Awareness During Annual Events Annual events attract large patronage and as such, people travel from different places to be in attendance. It is for this reason that the Unit planned to be part of such activities in order to sensitize road users on how they should move to and from such events safely. 2.4.1 Traditional Ceremonies The Agency took advantage of large gatherings drawn to attend traditional ceremonies in order to sensitize the public on various road safety matters. Sensitization activities done at the traditional ceremonies were in form of road shows, information kiosks at main arenas at which various promotional materials targeting different road users were handed out. The Agency also engaged popular artistes and cultural groups to disseminate road safety information in a captivating manner. The following traditional ceremonies were attended: - Nc’wala Ceremony of the Chewa people from Eastern Province – 23rd February, 2019, - Mutomboko Traditional Ceremony of the Lunda people from Luapula Province – 27th July, 2019, - Likumbi Lya Mize Traditional Ceremony of the Luvale people from North Western Province – 24th August, 2019 and, - Kulamba Kubwalo of the Lenje people from Central Province – 19th October, 2019. The Agency had planned to take part in other ceremonies as well but could not travel due to unavailability of funds. Material support was however given to the RTSA Provincial offices to represent the Unit:  Umutomolo traditional Ceremony of the Namwanga people under Chief Nawaitwika in Nakonde. Fifty (50) branded T-shirts and six hundred 600 thematic brochures.  Kulamba Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa people of Chief Gawa Undi in Katete - Threehundred (300) branded T-shirts. 4 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 2.4.2 Choova Cycling Contest The Agency facilitated for the Chipata RTSA office to participate at the Choova Cycling Contest in Eastern Province. This is a programme meant to raise cycling safety awareness among cyclists. This year’s competition was held on 20th July, 2019 under the theme “17 Years of Choova promoting Investment through Trade, Good Health, Road Safety and Communication.” 2.5 Launch of the Revised Highway Code – 6th Edition In the year under review, the Agency facilitated for the launch of the revised Zambian Highway Code. The revised Highway Code was launched on 9th July, 2019 at Mulungushi International conference Centre. The occasion was graced by Honourable Dr. Brian Muchimba, MP, then Minister of Transport and Communications. The launch was aimed at publicizing the revised Highway Code which encompasses the inclusion of technological advances that meet international standards. Honourable Dr. Brian Muchimba, MP and senior officials during a photo session after launching the revised Highway Code – 6th Edition 2.6 Road Safety Commemorations 2.6.1 United Nations (UN) Road Safety Week During the year under review, the Agency participated in the commemoration of the United Nations Road Safety Week which took place from 6th to 12th May, 2019 under the theme: ‘Leadership for Road Safety’. The global theme was meant to generate a demand from the public for stronger leadership for road safety worldwide. The Agency collaborated with various stakeholders during the Week to conduct the following road safety activities. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 5 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT  Sensitization at Chisankane Clinic in Shantumbu  Sensitization at Chanyani in Kafue  Sensitization at Shopping Malls (Information Kiosks) at Novare Mall and Cosmopolitan Mall.  Donation of library materials and sensitization for Chibolya, Kanyama, George Service Centre at Kanyama Service Centre in Kanyama compound.  Sponsorship of a Football Tournament for boys and girls at Chibolya grounds and sensitization of players and the audience.  Radio (One Love Radio, 5 FM, UNZA Radio, Millennium Radio) and television (Q – TV) programmes  Media announcements on radio and print media  Sensitization of staff at United Nations office and Save the Children International Donation of Road Safety library materials Kanyama Service Centre 2.6.2 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims The Agency commemorated the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on 17th November, 2019 under the theme: ‘Life is Not a Car Part’. The event was graced by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Honourable Mutotwe Kafwaya, MP. A church service was held at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross which was graced by the Church Mother Bodies and other religious leaders. The sermon was given by Reverend Luther Maseko from Bread of Life Church. Families and friends of road crash victims were invited to the service while others gave moving testimonies on the effects road traffic crashes have had on their lives. There were various choirs engaged to offer songs of hope, comfort, and love. 6 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT The RTSA Board Chairperson, Dr Cornelius Chipoma, during the church service to remember road traffic victims at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. 2.6.3 Road Safety Week The Agency commemorated the Road Safety Week from 15th to 21st December, 2019 under the theme; ‘A Pledge for Safe and Inclusive Roads’. The Minister of Transport and Communications, Honourable Mutotwe Kafwaya, MP officially launched the Road Safety Week on ZNBC Television on Sunday, 15th December, 2019. On Monday, 16th December, 2019, he officiated as Guest of Honour at Government Complex and he flagged off the week’s activities which included the following: i. ii. iii. iv. Media Programmes Information Kiosks/ Road Shows Road Shows Donation of Orthopedic and Medical Consumables The RTSA donating orthopedic medical consumables to the University Teaching Hospital management. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 7 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 8 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 3.0 NATURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS 3.1 CLASSIFICATION OF CRASHES BY SEVERITY Table 3 Province FATAL SERIOUS SLIGHT CENTRAL COPPERBELT EASTERN LUAPULA LUSAKA MUCHINGA NORTH WESTERN NORTHERN SOUTHERN WESTERN TOTAL 216 231 144 89 386 71 101 75 95 54 1462 323 544 233 174 812 169 200 126 221 138 2940 456 848 353 212 2655 186 299 132 422 150 5713 DAMAGE ONLY 1162 3,488 465 263 12,743 305 723 215 925 244 20,533 TOTAL RTC’s 2157 5,111 1195 738 16596 731 1323 548 1663 586 30648 The country recorded a total 30,648 road traffic crashes in the year 2019. This was a slight (0.013%) reduction from the 30,652 recorded in 2018. Figure 1 shows that 5% (1,462) of these accidents were categorized as fatal, 9% (2,940) were serious, 19% (5,713) were slight and 67% (20,533) of crashes resulted in vehicle damage only. Figure 1 The Road Transport and Safety Agency 9 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 2 Figure 3 below shows that the number of crashes which were classified as fatal, serious and slight declined by 11%, 13% and 17% respectively in 2019. Only the number of crashes resulting in vehicle damaged increased in 2019 by 10%. Figure 3 3.2 CRASHES PER PROVINCE The map displayed in Figure 4 below shows the distribution of road traffic crashes by province in the year 2019. The map shows that Lusaka province recorded 54% of crashes followed by Copperbelt (17%), Central (7%), Southern and Eastern (4%) provinces. The lowest number of crashes were recorded in Northern (1.8%), Western (1.9%) and Muchinga (2.4%) province. Road traffic crashes are high along the line of rail because of the high rates of vehicle ownership and urbanization in these areas. 10 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 4 Figure 5 The Road Transport and Safety Agency 11 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 6 3.3 URBAN RTC’S, RURAL RTC’S AND FATALITIES COMPARED Figure 7 Figure 8 The charts above shows the proportions of RTC’s by Urban and Rural areas. RTC’s are more prominent in urban areas than in rural areas with 77% of crashes being recorded in Urban Area and 23% in rural areas. However, fatalities are more prominent in rural areas than in urban areas. Rural Areas record 59% of fatalities while urban areas recorded 41%. This difference in the fatality rates can be attributed to better health care and faster response time in urban areas than in rural areas. 12 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 9 3.4 Monthly and Quarterly Crasher 3.4.1 Crashes by month Figure 10 Figure above shows the number of road traffic crashes recorded by month in 2019. The highest number of accidents occurred in the third quarter of the year. The month of February recorded the smallest number of road traffic crashes and August recorded the highest number. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 13 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 3.4.2 Crashes by Quarter Figure 11 Figure above shows a comparison of the crashes recorded by quarter in the years 2019 and 2018. A rising trend was experienced from the first to the fourth quarter of 2018. The year 2019 experiences an increase in the number of fatalities till third quarter. There was a drastic drop in the number of crashes getting into the fourth quarter of 2019. 3.5 MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS AND HUMAN POPULATION 3.5.1 Human Population Figure 12: Zambia’s Human Population from 2006 to 2019 14 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 3.5.2 Motor Vehicle Population Figure 13: Global Motorisation Rates and changes from 2015. Source OISA ( 2015) Figure 14 The Road Transport and Safety Agency 15 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 15 3.6 TRENDS IN CRASHES 3.6.1 Road Traffic Crashes Figure 16 The Figure 16 above show the trends in road traffic crashes from 2006 to 2019. The chart indicate a decrease in 2008 from the previous year 2007. The year 2009 recorded an increase in the number of crashes from 2008. The years 2011 and 2010 recorded a lower number of crashes than 2009 and then an increasing trend was recorded in the four years with a peak being experienced in the year 2015. The year 2019 has recorded a minor decline in crashes compared to the previous year. 16 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 3.6.2 Road Traffic Fatalities Figure 17 The figure above shows the trends in road traffic fatalities from 2006 to 2019. Traffic fatalities have been on the raise from 2006 through to 2012. The year 2012 recorded a peak in the number of crashes. Fatalities have shown a steady decline from 2016 and this trend has continued as seen from the fewer number of crashes recorded in 2019 3.6.3 Crash Rates per Human and Vehicle Population Figure 18 The figure above shows relative road traffic accident fatality rates as calculated by the number of fatalities per 10,000 vehicles and the number of fatalities per 100,000 population. The graph shows a decline in the fatality rates from the year 2016 to 2019. Progress is being made in the fight against road carnage. There is however still for more consented efforts among stakeholders in the fight if this progress is to be sustained. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 17 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 3.7 TYPES OF MV Figure 19 Figure 19 above show the types of motor vehicles involved in an accident for the year under review. The highest proportion (58%, 25,866) of vehicles involved in crashes were private motor vehicles, cars, vans etc. Goods vehicles represented 5736 (13%) of vehicles involved in accidents while 4,923 (11%) was represented by Omni buses with 3470(8%) being represented by taxi’s/contract vehicles. Unknown vehicles represented 1486 (3%) of vehicles represented in accidents, while pedal and motor cycles represented 1335 (3%) and 1328 (3%) respectively. GRZ, Tractor, Carts and railway engines all had the least number of crashes. These statistics represent the view that the chances of having an accident using a private motor vehicle/car etc. were highest as of 2019. Figure 20 18 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 3.8 RTC TIME OF DAY Figure 21 The figures above shows the number and percentage of road traffic crashes segregated by time of day. The data reveals that the highest number traffic accidents occurred between 18-20 hours. In urbanized areas this can be said to be the time when roads are busiest and congestion is not heavy hence a situation where vehicles are free flowing. The period between 20-23:59 hours also records a high number of accidents accounting for 13% of RTC’ and this can be attributed to night driving which may reduce proper vision, furthermore fatigue could be a contributing factor. The least number of accidents by time are recorded between 23:59 hours and 07:00 hours. 3.9 RTC DAY OF THE WEEK Figure 22 The Road Transport and Safety Agency 19 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT The figure 22 above shows the number and percentage of road traffic crashes categorized by day of the week. Evidence from the figures above show that the highest number of crashes in the year under review occurred between Friday and Saturday each representing a 17% occurrence. This could be due to the fact that most people may choose these days to take long distance trips especially for those in formal employment who maybe occupied during working days, furthermore the days are usually characterized by drinking and enjoyment. Road traffic crash as a result of excessive speed and drunk driving. 20 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 4.0 CASUALTIES Figure 23 Figure 23 above shows the proportions of casualties recorded in the year 2019 classified as persons killed and persons seriously and slightly injured. The charts shows that 55% (8149) of the casualties recorded were slight injuries, 33% (5,012) were seriously injured and 12% (1746) were killed as a result of road traffic accidents. Figure 24 Compared to the year 2018, the year 2019 recorded a 6% reduction in the total number of casualties. The chart above shows that the number of persons killed, seriously and slightly injured declined by 4%, 5% and 7% respectively. 4.1 FATALITIES 4.1.1 FATALITIES BY PROVINCE A total of 1,746 lives were lost as a result of road traffic accidents in 2019. This figure represents a 4% reduction from the 1,817 fatalities recorded in the year 2018. Lusaka Province recorded the highest The Road Transport and Safety Agency 21 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT (25%) number of fatalities, followed by Copperbelt, Central, Eastern, Northwestern, Southern, Luapula, Muchinga and Western Provinces. Figure 25 Figure 26 Figure 27 below shows the changes in the percentage of fatalities recorded by province in 2018 and 2019. The figure shows that only Lusaka, Copperbelt, Southern and Luapula Provinces recorded a reduction in the number of fatalities in the year 2019. Copper belt and Southern provinces recorded the highest percentage decrease in the number of fatalities. 22 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 27 4.1.2 FATALITIES BY ROAD USER TYPE Figure 28 Figure 28 above shows road traffic fatalities in 2019 segregated by road user type. The majority of fatalities were among vulnerable road users which include pedestrians (47%), motor cycle drivers (5%) and passengers (1%) and pedal cycle drivers (10%) and passengers (2%). The Road Transport and Safety Agency 23 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 28 Figure 29 The figure 29 above shows that Central province had a higher percentage of fatalities among Motor cycle passengers, pedal cycle passengers than other provinces. Also Lusaka Province had a high proportion of fatalities among pedestrians. 24 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 30 The figure 30 below shows the percentage difference in the number of fatalities by road user type in 2018 and 2019. It can be observed that the year 2019 recorded an increase in the number of pedal/cycle passengers (23%), motor cycle (96%) and pedal cycle (15%) passengers. Figure 31 The Road Transport and Safety Agency 25 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 4.2 SERIOUS INJURIES 4.2.1 SERIOUS INJURIES BY PROVINCE Figure 32 The distribution of Serious Injuries throughout the country is similar to the distribution of fatalities with Lusaka province recording the highest number and Western Province recorded the least number. 4.2.2 SERIOUS INJURIES BY ROAD USER TYPE Figure 33 26 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 34 Figure 34 above shows the percentage difference in the number of serious injuries recorded by province in 2018 and 2019. The number of serious injuries declined in most parts of the country except Lusaka, Central, Eastern and Northern Provinces. Huge reductions were recorded in Southern, Luapula and North Western Provinces. 4.3 SLIGHT INJURIES 4.3.1 SLIGHT INJURIES BY PROVINCE Figure 36 The Road Transport and Safety Agency 27 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 36 4.3.2 SLIGHT INJURIES BY ROAD USER TYPE Figure 37 28 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 38 4.4 CHILDREN CASUALTIES Figure 39 A total of 1,481 casualties involving children under the age of 16 years were recorded in the year 2019. Figure 10 above shows that 805 (54%) were slight injuries, 479 (32%) were serious injuries and 197 (13%) were fatal. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 29 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 40 Figure 40 above shows the number of child casualties recorded in 2019 by gender. The data shows that the number of boys involved in accidents is higher than the number of girls for all the categories of casualties. Figure 40 below shows a comparison of the number of child fatalities in the years 2018 and 2019. The graph shows that there was an increase in the number of fatalities recorded among children in 2019 for both boys and girls. Figure 41 Figure 42 below shows that the majority of children who died as a result of road traffic crash were pedestrians. 30 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 42 Driver of blue vehicle driving on opposite lane. Human error accounts for over 87% of road traffic crushes. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 31 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 5.0 CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS Road Traffic Crashes are caused by a number of factors - human, vehicle and environmental factors all play vital roles before, during and after a crash. The important factors are : human error (87.7%), wandering animals (1.4%), motor vehicle defects (1.2%), road defects (0.3%) and weather conditions (0.1%). The chart below show that the vast majority of crashes are caused by human error. Figure 43 5.1 HUMAN ERROR Almost all crashes (88%) are caused by human error. Human error is categorized as driver errors, pedestrian errors, passenger errors and cyclist errors. The majority of these are errors causes by the motor vehicle driver. Figure 44 32 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 5.1.1 DRIVER ERRORS Figure 45 The figure above shows that failure to keep to the near side of the lane among other things, was the top contributory factor for road crashes accounting for 19% of the errors. Other leading factors include; excessive speed (17%), misjudging of clearance distance (17%), cutting in (10%), reversing negligently (9%) and overtaking improperly (5%). 5.1.2 PEDESTRIAN ERRORS Table 4 No. Pedestrian Errors Number of RTC’s % of Pedestrian Errors 1509 87% % of Total Number of RTCs 4.92% 130 7% 0.42% 82 18 5% 1% 0.27% 0.06% 4 1743 0% 100% 0.01% 5.69% 1 Pedestrian crossing the road 2 Walking, standing On Road 3 Playing on The Road 5 Under the Influence of Drink/Drug 4 Sudden Illness Sum Pedestrian errors account for 6% of the road crashes attributed to human errors. The most common pedestrian errors are pedestrians crossing the road carelessly, walking or standing on the road, playing on the road and pedestrians being struck as a result of being under the influence of alcohol. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 33 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Figure 46 5.1.3 PASSENGER ERROR The most common types of passenger errors are passengers falling from a moving vehicle and negligence on the part of the bus conductor. The table shows that 138 accidents were caused by passengers falling from the vehicle and 14 accidents were as attributed to negligence by bus conductors. Table 5 No. Passenger Errors 1 Passengers: Falling From Vehicle 2 Negligence on the part of the bus conductor Sum Number of RTC’s 138 14 152 % of Passenger Errors 91% 9% 100% % of Total Number of RTCs 0.45% 0.05% 0.50% 5.1.4 CYCLIST ERRORS The statistics indicate that cyclist errors were responsible of 0.05% of the crashes which were attributes to human errors. A total of 15 crashes were recorded which were caused by the cyclist holding on to another motor vehicle. 34 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 5.2 MOTOR VEHICLE DEFECTS Table 6 No. Vehicle Defects 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 No Rear Light/Reflector Smashed Windscreen Springs Vehicle Overloaded No Front Light Steering Unattended Vehicle Running Away Brakes Tyres Sum Number of RTC’s 0 7 9 10 20 28 54 115 126 369 % of Vehicle Defects 0% 2% 2% 3% 5% 8% 15% 31% 34% 100% % of Total Number of RTCs 0.00% 0.02% 0.03% 0.03% 0.07% 0.09% 0.18% 0.38% 0.41% 1.20% The data collected shows that 0.2% of all road traffic crashes were as a result of Motor vehicle defects. The top contributory factors among motor vehicle defects include defective tyres (34%), defective brakes (31%), vehicle left unattended to (15%), defective steering wheel (8%), defective lights (5%), overloaded vehicle (3%) and smashed windscreens (2%). Figure 47 The Road Transport and Safety Agency 35 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 5.3 4.3 WANDERING ANIMALS Table 7 No. Animal Errors Number of RTC’s 1 Dog on the Road 2 Other domestic Animal on Road 3 Other Animal on Road Sum 45 346 26 417 % of Animal Errors 11% 83% 6% 100% % of Total Number of RTCs 0.15% 1.13% 0.08% 1.36% Wondering animals causes 1.6% of accidents recorded in the year 2019. The most common causes include domestic animals such as dogs, goats and cattle being left to wander on the roads. 5.4 WEATHER CONDITIONS Environmental factors such as weather conditions caused 0.08% of the traffic accidents in the year 2019. The most common factors recorded include glaring sun and accidents caused by heavy down pours. Table 8 No. Weather Conditions 1 Glaring Sun 2 Heavy Rain Sum 5.5 Number of RTC’s % of Weather Conditions % of Total Number of RTCs 23% 0.02% 77% 0.07% 100% 0.08% 6 20 26 Road Conditions Unfavorable road conditions resulted in 0.28% of crashes in 2019. The categories for road conditions include; Poor road surface and other road conditions such as obstructed view and dusty roads. Table 9 No. Road Conditions 1 Road Surface in Need of Repair 2 Road Defect: Other Road conditions (View Obscured) (Dust) Sum Number % of Road % of Total of RTC’s Conditions Number of RTCs 72 83% 0.23% 15 17% 0.05% 87 100% 0.28% Following the request of the United Nations General Assembly, on November 22, 2017 Member States reached consensus on 12 global road safety performance targets. 36 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT 6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS Tackling the road safety crisis is both a moral imperative and an economic necessity. The year 2019 saw a minor reduction in the number of crashes and fatalities compared to the previous year. To support the various UN Sustainable Development Goals that will benefit from improved road safety, the UN Member States have agreed Global Road Safety Performance Targets that outline the priorities for safe system action through to 2030. Good data is fundamental for good policies. Without a solid evidence base, decision makers drive in the dark. We owe it to the Zambian people to formulate and implement the most effective policies and measures to reduce the number of road deaths, and we owe it to tax payers to spend funds wisely, to maximum effect. We propose the following interventions towards halving the numbers of road traffic crashes and fatalities by 2020: 1. All road sector players must integrate the safe system and Vision Zero approach in policy-making and the daily operations. Agencies must accept accountability for road safety performance and implement the required safeguards and associated planning, design standards, procurement practices and delivery quality control to ensure the Global Road Safety Performance Targets are achieved by 2030. 2. Increase the number of enforcements, education and publicity activities. More work is needed to explore the best ways to optimize enforcement of existing road safety laws. Educational campaigns need to be conducted to support and maximize the effects of the enforcement unit. 3. More attention should be paid to the needs of pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorcyclists, who together make up 63% of the road traffic fatalities in Zambia. Making our roads safer will not be possible unless the needs of these road users are considered in all approaches to road safety. 4. Hasten the roll-out of the Accident Information Systems (AIS) so that accurate and timely accident information can be collected for appropriate interventions and policy formulation; 5. The country must take an active role in the African Road Safety Observatory which aims to provide the cooperative platform for efficient national and international cooperation and the sharing of best practices through data-driven knowledge to accelerate policy, investment and performance monitoring. The Road Transport and Safety Agency 37 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT A truck involved in a road traffic crash not secured with Reflective Triangles, instead tree branches were used which are not visible both day and night. Such unsecured trucks are a hazard to other road users. 38 The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT The Road Transport and Safety Agency 39 RTSA - 2019 ANNUAL CRASH STATISTICS REPORT Road Transport & Safety Agency Head office: Premium House P.O. Box 32167, Lusaka Tel: +260-211-228797 Fax: +260-211-231601 : askrtsa twitter@rtsa2006 www.rtsa.org.zm [email protected] Toll Free 983 0965 429499 Hotline: 0955 983983 +260 211 228798 40 The Road Transport and Safety Agency