INSIGHT: How corruption leaves Tanzania roads unsafe

Dar es Salaam. In July, within a week there were two major bus accidents reported. More people were killed by the two accidents than did the Kagera earthquake. In the mid-1990s, road accidents ranked ninth as top 10 killers in Tanzania. Currently, they rank third in the top 10 killers. Why is this so and what are the causes of road accidents? This article aims at presenting an analysis so that road accidents can be prevented.

Strategies to curb road accidents

Road Safety Week has been in place since I was a teenager. Even now as I pen this piece, the deputy minister for Home Affairs is officiating such a week in Mwanza. Has anyone evaluated the impact of the Road Safety Week? As far as I’m concerned, I think none has done so. The event is more of a money-spinner for traffic police officers than a stopper to road accidents. I’m tempted to even believe that it actually promotes road accidents because what matters are only the stickers sold. In the process, so many road unworthy cars have stickers, but no actual inspection seems to be taking place. Get rid of this gimmick.

Draconian measures

There has been a lot of talk about introducing heavy fines and new laws to curb road accidents. Will these measures help? Are the current measures not already draconian enough compared to other countries in the region?

New probe committees

I understand probe committee appointments are in the offing. Can another new panel of the so-called experts really curb accidents?

The real issue is the correct diagnosis of why accidents and what is the best course of action. What is missing?

Collection of data

Without proper collection of data and inferences from the collected information, it is very difficult to understand the magnitude of the problem and the factors involved. The data available is a few academic papers/dissertation by Master’s students. The scanty data set is also not used at all. Mseru at al show a descriptive analysis of road accidents data in Tanzania using routine police records.

Trends, road users injured or killed and conservative factors were recorded. The results show that between 1990 and 2000, the number of road accidents rose by 44 per cent from 10,107. At the same time, the number of associated injuries increased by more than 44 per cent and that of death by more than 64 per cent during the same period.

A total of 56 per cent of the injured were passengers followed by pedestrians (25 per cent), while the dead included passengers. Improper road use behaviour by different road users was reported to be the major cause of accidents with drivers’ inappropriate behaviour contributing 52 per cent.

Police data collection

It is suggested that police data collection be strengthened and also be linked to health data. Such data will then provide information on the type of intervention necessary for various stages before and after injury has occurred and will also show the true burden of injuries in the country. The traffic police force should every year make public appropriate data set for the whole country.

For example, Transport Canada’s National Collision Database contains data on all reportable motor vehicle collisions in Canada that the provinces and territories provide each year. The federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada work to improve road safety to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries and have the safest roads in the world.

The year 2014 saw a decrease in the number of fatalities, serious injuries and total injuries. In fact, 2014 marked the lowest counts for all three of these casualty groups since this data was first collected by Transport Canada in the early 1970s.

• In 2014, the number of motor vehicle fatalities was 1,834, down 6 per cent from 2013 (1,951).

• The downward trend for serious injuries continued, dropping to 9,647 in 2014, down 9.5 per cent from 2013 (10,663).

• The number of fatalities per 100,000 population was 5.2 in 2014, down from 5.5 in 2013.

• The number of fatalities per billion vehicle kilometres travelled was 5.1 in 2014, the lowest on record.

The report further shows analysis by vulnerable groups, types of vehicle etc. This is the sort of data set the Tanzania Police Force should be creating so that evidence-based decisions can be made. Instead of appointing probe committees there should be a section with TPF of trained personnel to get such information. 

Poor enforcement of traffic safety regulations

The primary reason for the high burden is poor enforcement of traffic safety regulations. Corruption is a big problem, often creating a circle of blame—the police blame drivers and the public, the public blame drivers and the police, and drivers blame the police. Corruption also extends to vehicle and driver licensing agencies.

In North America in order to get a driving licence, one has to do a knowledge theory examination. They have to answer 30 multiple-choice questions on a computer. If you get below 25 questions correct, you will have to repeat the test. Once you get a learners driver licence you enter the Graduated Drivers Licencing Programme. In this programme it takes a minimum of three years for you to get a licence and enable you to drive independently. Still you are not allowed to drive commercial vehicles.

Developing a road safety culture

Thus, despite America has more cars on the road (perhaps by a factor of 100) it has much less road carnage than Tanzania. It’s because the drivers have had proper training and are made responsible drivers. The law is stringently followed without fail.

The cause of both these accidents - in Njombe and Mwanza - was stated as speeding. As a common person I have driven several times on our highways travelling from Dar es Salaam to Arusha and my experience is that the TPF is very serious to stop private cars and take drastic actions, sometimes-draconian penalties and insults are handed over. But if it’s a bus even at 140km/hr it is allowed to pass scout free. The traffic police officers are most likely in their pay roll.

Despite regular safety week initiative, lives lost in road accidents are not abating and the only reason is that most TPF officers are corrupt. This is evidenced by the fact that these buses go over the speed limits and go without any punitive measures against them.

I have travelled from Moshi in a bus that leaves at 8am and arrives by 12.30pm in Dar es Alaam. Moshi is about 500km from Dar es Salaam and in four and half hours with all the speed limits and groups of traffic police on the way the journey was completed. From Nairobi to Namanga there is only, one traffic check mostly for lorries and buses while from Namanga to Arusha there are no less then six stops.

Corruption

At these stops the most flimsy reason is created and shamelessly these police officers demand money. On one occasion the medical kit in my car was inspected and I was told that the bandage was expired, according to the traffic police this was a reason for road accidents!!!

The attitude of many people, and of course that of most leaders, is that accidents are the inevitable cost of development. Towns have mushroomed in size, vehicles have become faster, highways have become more congested, but there has been very little effort to enforce existing comprehensive laws due to benefits from corruption.

The infrastructure has been changed, but not at all in such a way as to improve road safety. On the contrary, the aim being to improve the economic efficiency of the “town”, preference has been given to faster, more crowded transport. The current situation is totally unacceptable.

What should be done?

1. First, the present leadership of traffic police department has to be relieved and a new leadership appointed with clear terms that if accidents will not decrease they would as well lose their jobs.

2. Complete over haul of the licence issuing system in a bid to produce responsible drivers.

3. Appropriate section is created to collect data, analyse and inform members of the public.

4. Provide regular public education on road safety including primary school curriculum.

5. Appropriate education to traffic police officers on moral, decent and responsible conduct. Need to improve on their communication skills especially verbal communication.

6. There should be zero tolerance to corruption.

7. A comprehensive scientific inquiry about driver’s factors, vehicle factors and environmental factors should be done and based on findings appropriate recommendations should be implemented.

8. A multi-sectorial approach including provision of on-site emergency medical care.