Gov’t urged to set up specialized police unit on accidents

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has been advised to establish a special unit for handling victims of road accidents and managing post-accident scenes.

The call was made by the Uganda Professional Drivers Network and the World Health Organisation, during activities to mark the World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims, in Kampala. The day which recognizes the suffering of victims and the work of rescue services was marked under the theme “Life Is Not a Car Part.”

Activities in Kampala started with a march through the streets, led by the police band and Kampala Metropolitan Traffic Police Commander Norman Musinga as the chief walker. It was graced by motorcyclists, drivers and traffic police officers.

Noting that more than 1.3 million people die in road accidents every year, the organizations pointed out that more young people between the ages of 15 and 29 die from road crashes annually than from HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis or homicide.

Dr Hafitha Kasule, a WHO consultant on non-communication diseases, violence and injuries, said many victims have died at accident scenes or in the process of rescuing them because of the absence of specialized personnel for handling such a situation. She said that without accident scene management and evacuation skills, the life of victims is jeopardized.

Dr Kasule castigated police for loading accident victims on patrol pickups saying that explains why a special team is important to be in place.

Omongo Ndugu, the Executive Director of Uganda, Professional Drivers Network observed that the police must be equipped with ambulances stationed at known accident spots and along major highways to evacuate crash victims.

“While the cameras have been instrumental in criminal investigations, their role has not manifested in traffic control especially in regards to bringing to book perpetrators of traffic violations,” Ndugu said.

The police registered 12,805 crashes in 2018 with 1,153 of them recorded in December alone, according to the Traffic and Road Safety report of 2018. In general, 3,191 people died in accidents, an average of 10 deaths per day.

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