Trader Magazine 20th issue: Traffic Safety

Road accidents are one of the leading causes of deaths here in Tanzania, although the number of accidents had gone down last year. We have begun this year in sombre mood as the death toll from road accidents since the beginning of this year have reached close to 60 people in just three accidents.

January 04, 2009: 11 people died at Uchira area Kilimanjaro Road, Moshi
January 10, 2009: 28 people died at Hale area in Korogwe District, Tanga
January 20, 2009: 17 people died at Tengeru area along Arusha/Moshi Road

Driver Behaviour
Reckless driving is one of the leading factors of road accidents in Tanzania. Most accidents happen when people drive too fast, overtake where they aren't supposed to, drive under the influence of alcohol, and overestimate their own abilities.

People's driving behavior (how they choose to drive) results mostly from what they think and feel: it has less to do with what they know or can do. To change how people drive you must change how they think and feel.

Speeding
In 2006 COWI undertook a speed measurement exercise in the small town of Mahenge, which has a speed limit of 50 km/h.

It was discovered that the average speed of buses was 109 km/h, smaller vehicles 99 km/h, and trucks 77 km/h on a main through road flanked on one side by housing and on the other by the local school. Since the study in 2006 we have seen improvements made by TANROADS as road signs and road humps are placed in such areas, yet the most difficult task at hand is to enforce speed limits at the entrances of small village and through small towns.

Road Signs
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of roads to provide information to road users. Road signs give you important information about the law, warn you about dangerous conditions and help you find your way. Signs use different symbols, colors and shapes for easy identification.

In another study by COWI and TANROADS, based on the serious issue of TANZAM highway, amongst other road safety issues was the theft of road signs by those who wish to re-use or sell the signs' metal. A unique attribute of the area that is destroying existing signage is the occurrence of frequent bush fires, causing obvious damage to road signs.