Dakar, Senegal |  29 September to 1 October – Road crashes are the biggest killer of young people worldwide, and the injury burden impacts every country on earth. In total, 1.19 million people are killed and 30-50 million people are injured in preventable road crashes every year. Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists account for nearly half of all road deaths and a significant proportion of injuries.

Road infrastructure plays a significant role in influencing the likelihood or severity of a crash. An undivided road with head-on risk built-in, a high-speed road with dangerous roadsides or an urban road with no facilities for safe pedestrian or cyclist movement are just some examples of road features that impact crashes. The cost of road trauma is estimated to be 3-6% of national GDP each and every year in low and middle-income countries.

Unlocking the potential of safer roads to save lives, save money and achieve the UN Global Road Safety Performance Targets is the focus of the Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure Project.

The project is a collaborative effort between the Government of Senegal, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, Land, and Air Transport (MITTA) and ANASER and the consortium joined by the IRF along with the International Road Assessment Programme – iRAP, PIARC (World Road Association) and LASER International, with support from the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and FIA Foundation.

The three-day training event

The training focused on ‘road safety engineering,’ with a particular emphasis on the new PIARC Road Safety Manual. The event saw 20 participants from a range of key organizations, including the Senegal National Road Safety Agency (ANASER), Ageroute, the General Directorate of Road Infrastructure and Accessibility (DGIRD), universities, and the Executive Council of Urban Transport in Dakar (CETUD). This session is the first of a series of in-person trainings and complements the ongoing electronic training platform, which currently serves over 150 participants.

The Ten Step Senegal Project is a three-year initiative funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF). The project aims to improve road infrastructure safety by strengthening capacities through training, updating road design standards, and implementing targeted strategies.

The project works to create synergies with other internationally funded road projects, provide key performance indicators and recommendations, and support the implementation of the National Road Safety Plan.

The Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure Project for safer roads

The World Health Organization estimates that road crashes claim more than 3,500 lives every year in Senegal, and result in over 40,000 more injuries, with a national economic burden of US $1.4 billion. National data shows road crashes are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 24, and the second leading cause among 25-39 year-olds, after AIDS.

Senegal is only the second country in the Africa to use the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) Ten Steps approach, following its award-winning implementation in Tanzania. The Ten Step Plan framework has been produced by the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) partners to support countries seeking to implement initiatives in relation to the “improved safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks”, the UN Convention on Road Traffic and Road Signs and Signals, and the achievement of UN Member States agreed Global Targets 3 and 4 for safer new and existing roads.