Kampala, Uganda – The directorate of traffic and road safety in Uganda, have revealed that a total of 71 people lost their lives and over 333 injured in road crashes between July 1st and 7th, 2024.
According to SP Michael Kananura, the spokesperson of traffic and road safety in Uganda, the majority of the fatalities were motorcyclists and pedestrians, accounting for 47% and 41% of the total deaths respectively. “Among those that died were 29 pedestrians, 28 motorcyclists, 6 passengers of motorcycles, 4 passengers in vehicles, 2 pedal cyclists, 1 driver and 1 other.” He said
Kananura said, careless overtaking contributed to 26% of the total crashes followed by speeding with 21% of the total crashes, while crashes due to following too close contributed to 10% of the total road crashes over the course of last week.
In response to the crisis, the traffic police will be conducting enforcement operations across the country this week, targeting:
– Those without driving licenses, expired licenses, and those driving out of class.
– Boda bodas without crash helmets, reflective jackets, and those that violate one-way rules.
– Drivers under the influence of alcohol, with a special focus on drink-driving over the weekend.
The enforcement operations will begin on July 8th and will continue throughout the week. Kananura appealed to the public to cooperate with the police to ensure the success of the operations.
