BY Nasir M. Ali
The mounting rate of road traffic accidents both inside and outside urban centers in Somaliland remains one of the major, if not the sole, factor that cause the death of numerous people. On each day, a road accident occurs somewhere in the country with fatality, injury, and destruction of property.
In a country of 4.5 million people, 4654 road traffic accidents occurred resulting in 201 deaths, 3322 injuries, and the loss of 127 animals, in the year 2018 alone. The question that arises from this is: what are the root causes of this ongoing tragedy? Who is responsible for these fatalities? And what can be done by the Somaliland Government to minimize the rising number of road traffic accidents, both in and outside of cities?
This study examines the causes of road accidents and analyzes the negligence within state institutions, especially the Ministry of Transport and Roads Development, in tackling these accidents. The Ministry is expected to regulate drivers and inspect vehicles’ conditions in order to ensure public and community safety, by utilizing the services of traffic police, who are expected to enforce laws and regulations in order to curb the growing danger of road accidents. The study proposes certain measures to tackle road accidents.
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