"It is in this sense that we will project the inspection action, now with new means that we will introduce, as we have already said, to achieve, in the coming days, a reduction in accidents and their consequences", said the person in charge, speaking to the press, at last Friday, at the end of the first Ordinary Session of the National Road and Traffic Planning Council (CNVOT), which was guided by the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa.
According to a statement from CIPRA, to which VerAngola had access, at the meeting, the council "became aware, through the Report on Road Accidents for 2023, that the country recorded a total of 14,429 road accidents, which resulted in 3,121 deaths and 17,902 injured".
The data, when compared to the previous year, points to an increase in numbers. "The main indicators of road accidents, compared to 2022, indicated an increase in the number of accidents of more than 1069, 122 deaths and 2209 injuries", reads the statement.
According to the report, there were more pedestrian accidents, collisions between cars and motorcycles, as well as crashes, followed by rollovers, with the age group between 16 and 46 being the most affected by road accidents and men being the main victims.
The data also shows that Luanda "leads the road accident numbers", followed by the provinces of Huíla and Huambo. On the other hand, the province of Cuando Cubango has the lowest record.
"As for the causes of accidents, the following stand out, non-compliance with the rules of the Highway Code, associated with the conditions of road infrastructure and the poor technical condition of vehicles, with a death severity rate of 22 percent, below the average of sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28 percent, and a rate of nine victims per 100,000 inhabitants", the statement reads.
In addition, the council also assessed the Assessment Report of the key actions carried out last year, within the scope of the National Road Prevention and Safety Plan 2023-2027, of which "the concession and construction of technical inspection centers for motor vehicles and their trailers and the process of implementing multimedia exams".
The report also highlights the "implementation of programs for the rehabilitation, maintenance and conservation of road infrastructures and the work to identify and correct engineering errors that have caused traffic accidents, the approval of the legal diploma for the registration and control of victims of road accidents in health units and the indication of reference hospitals, as well as the construction of the Institute of Forensic Anatomy of Luanda".
The council members also learned about the preparations for the International Road Safety and Prevention Forum, scheduled for the first quarter of this year, about the "draft Presidential Decree and the process of supervising speeding driving, time driving and resting".
The commander-general of the National Police plans, with the aforementioned forum, to gather knowledge and share it with various entities and countries that have "successful experiences in containing the rate of growth in accidents".
Thus, he said: "Based on these terms of reference, we will now seek to carry out all the organizational construction so that the forum can take place during the first quarter of this year".
