On Tuesday 24^th December 2013, Rwanda commemorated the 2^nd Annual Africa Road Safety Day which is commemorated every year in remembrance for victims of road traffic accidents. This year’s theme was “Let’s have road that are safe for all”.

The road safety day is normally commemorated on the 3^rd Sunday of November as it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly; but Rwanda has decided to commemorate it at the beginning of the road safety week organized by Rwanda National Police as a way to join hands in reducing road traffic accidents.

The event which was held in Nyarugenge District, City of Kigali was officiated by the Mayor of Kigali, Mr. Fidele Ndayisaba, and was also attended by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Dan Munyuza, different Police officers and other officials. It was characterized by the painting of a new Zebra Crossing at a hotspot along city Centre-Nyabugogo road, putting stickers with road safety messages on automobiles, and raising the public awareness on road safety issues.

As per statistics by Rwanda National Police, road traffic accidents reduced from 933 cases recorded last year to 507 cases registered (todate), meaning a decrease of 34.9 percent.

However, further effort is needed to reduce the number of road accident victims. According Mr. Christian Rwakunda, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure, who also represented the Ministry at the event, the action should speak more than words in a fight towards reducing road casualties.

Worldwide, crashes take the lives of almost 1.24 million people every year, and injure as many as 50 million more, leaving some with permanent disability.

Traffic accidents also lead to enormous financial loss, with many families taken to poverty through either the loss of a breadwinner at home, or the costs associated with prolonged medical care among other consequences.