By Lamin Njie
The Honorable Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure has said that commemoration of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims is not about reminding victims of their trauma, pain, grief and suffering resulting from the aftermath of the road crash, but rather, to raise public awareness on road safety issues.
Minster Ebrima Sillah was recently speaking during the national commemoration of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims held at the Ministry’s conference room in Kanifing.
“The day also provides a platform for victims to share their ordeals with the general public.It is therefore important to use this opportunity to remember our loved ones who died from road traffic crashes and commiserate with the suffering of the bereaved families” Minister Sillah Noted
He used the occasion to acknowledge the numerous contributions of other stakeholders involved in the aftermath of road accidents such as the police, Red Cross, Fire and Rescue Services, and the medical personnel who work tirelessly to ensure that victims receive the necessary post-crash care they deserve.
The day, he went on, provides a unique opportunity to draw the attention of the general public to the unnecessary surge and predictable road fatalities, injuries and the risks the menace poses to all road users.
“Most of these deaths and injuries can be prevented with positive behavioral change and the improvement of our road management system as a whole. People should not be dying and sustaining serious injuries as a price for the increase in our road infrastructure, increase in vehicles, or economic progress. Therefore, we should use the occasion to highlight the potential for preventing road accidents and the importance of a more serious response to law-breaking on the road,” he stated.
Meanwhile, official statistics obtained from police report, from the year 2011 to 2021, on average, about 121 people die annually as a result of road traffic accidents in The Gambia. Similarly, during the eleven-year period on average, 821 road traffic crashesoccurred annually. Over the same period, 2738 people sustained serious injuries. The situation seems to be even worsening looking at the statistics of 2021. A total of 1218 road crashes occurred, 155 people died and 440 people sustained serious injuries.
