Worse than malaria
Oct 24th Economist
Road Traffic Deaths Worldwide per 100,000 population
Europe – 9.3
World – 17.5
Africa – 26.6
By Country
Thailand – 35
Malawi – 34
Liberia – 33
Congo – 32
Tanzania – 32
Kenya – 29
South Africa – 25
Brazil – 23
Nigeria – 21
Vehicles per 100,000 population
Road accidents are the leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds globally, according to a report published by the World Health Organisation on October 19th. Forty of the 50 countries with the highest road-death rates across all ages are in Africa. Traffic accidents now kill more people than malaria in many African countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sudan.
Africa’s roads are the world’s deadliest for a multitude of reasons including lax enforcement of traffic rules (much of that due to rampant corruption), poor road conditions, lack of pedestrian infrastructure such as pavements and crossings, and dismal accident and emergency care. Not to mention the cars themselves; all African countries except South Africa meet either none or just one of the UN’s seven main vehicle safety standards.