Truck drivers literally take their lives in their hands every time they move freight on Africa’s roads. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Africa has the highest road fatality rate of all the regions in the world. The bottom line is that while the African region possesses only 2% of the world’s vehicles it contributes 16% to the global deaths. Nigeria and South Africa have the highest fatality rates (33.7 and 31.9 deaths per 100 000 population per year, respectively) in the region. More than one in four deaths in the African Region occurs on Nigeria’s roads. Six other countries – the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda are responsible for 64% of all road deaths in the region.
