UN Envoy Visits Djibouti, Kenya for Road Safety Boost
The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, will visit Djibouti and Kenya from 27 May to 4 June 2025 to support global and national authorities’ road safety initiatives.
The Special Envoy will meet members of the Government as well as representatives of the private and public sectors three months after the Declaration of Marrakesh where Member states further committed to accelerate efforts for achieving the Decade of Action for Road Safety’s goal of halving the number of the victims on the road by 2030.
The Silent pandemic on the road
The Special Envoy qualified road crashes as “The Silent Pandemic on the Road”. Indeed, every year, the staggering toll of road-related fatalities globally claims the lives of 1.19 million people, leaving 50 million others with severe injuries. Furthermore, road crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years.
“Africa is the continent proportionately most affected by road crashes. Knowing that these affect the youngest first, beyond the human tragedy this is an economic devastation, sacrificing or invalidating for life the active force of a country. While the vaccine to avoid this carnage on the road exists, I urgently call on everyone to use it”, stressed the Special Envoy.
The continent loses annually over 300,000 people through road crashes, even though its countries are witnessing the lowest levels of motorization in the world. Africa has a traffic fatality rate of 19.5 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 16 deaths per 100,000 in Southeast Asia, and 6.5 deaths per 100,000 in Europe.
38% of fatalities occur among pedestrians while 43 percent occur among car occupants. Motorized 2-3 wheelers and cyclists account for 7% and 5% of Africa’s traffic deaths respectively. A significant proportion of road fatalities on the continent occur in urban areas. Furthermore, the ongoing improvement of the quality and coverage of Africa’s roads is likely to increase crashes if it is not accompanied by appropriate road safety measures.
Towards enhanced road safety in Djibouti
The fatality rate in Djibouti is 23/100,000 inhabitants (WHO 2023). Road safety remains a critical public health and development challenge. As part of his ongoing global advocacy, the Special Envoy will engage national authorities and partners in strengthening road safety efforts.
During the mission, Mr. Todt will meet with senior government officials to encourage the implementation of effective road safety legislation, improved enforcement, safer infrastructure, and better post-crash care. Discussions will also focus on the importance of data collection, education campaigns-particularly in schools-and the protection of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists, and children.
Safer roads for economic growth in Kenya
The fatality rate in Kenya is estimated at 27.8 per 100,000 inhabitants (WHO, 2023), among the highest in Africa. Despite progress in policy and institutional frameworks, road traffic injuries remain a major public health concern, particularly affecting pedestrians, motorcyclists, and passengers. Kenya’s expanding road network is often challenged by infrastructure gaps, poor road user behavior, and limited enforcement capacity, especially outside major urban centers.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), over 4,000 people lost their lives on Kenyan roads in 2023. Motorcycles-commonly used for short-distance transport (boda-bodas)-are involved in a significant share of crashes, with helmet non-use and overloading being frequent risk factors. This is especially concerning when we know that quality helmets reduce the risk of death by over six times and brain injury by up to 74% (WHO, 2023).
Since the last visit by the Special Envoy in 2024, UN Kenya has moved towards more concerted action on road safety. Going forward, UN Kenya will target particular blackspots for accidents and explore how to mobilize road safety ambassadors and Kenyan celebrities in sports to drive awareness on road safety in Kenya.
Photo credit: Adobe Stock Images by Eunika Sopotnicka
https://unece.org/media/press/402744