The Number of Deaths on Moroccan Roads Is Falling

The improvement of indicators related to traffic accidents during the year 2019 should encourage the continuation of mobilization to limit the significant damage caused by these accidents, said the Head of Government Saad-Eddine El Othmani, who chaired, on Friday in Rabat, a meeting of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Road Safety.

El Othmani noted on this occasion that the year 2019 has seen a decline in the number of deaths and serious injuries, estimated at 2.9% and 3.53% respectively, recorded mainly in urban areas, in addition to an improvement observed in other indicators, said the Head of Government’s department, adding that he thinks that these improvements should encourage the continuation of mobilization to reduce the significant damage caused by accidents, which also cause an annual economic and material loss of nearly 2.5% of GDP.

During the meeting, which was devoted to the review of road safety indicators for the year 2019, the presentation of the Committee’s assessment of its action for the year 2019 and its action plan for 2020, El Othmani stressed the need to continue the efforts of all stakeholders within the framework of an inclusive approach based on awareness and accident prevention, as well as persuasive and coercive measures, with the involvement of civil society actors and the further integration of road safety education into the school environment, considering innovative means and integrating the technological means available in this field.

El Othmani also reaffirmed the importance of the human dimension on the issue of road safety, which requires serious treatment, with the combined efforts of all parties concerned, stressing that the government is keen to include this work in its priorities in the framework of the implementation of the provisions of the National Road Safety Strategy, particularly with a view to reducing by half the number of deaths caused by road accidents by 2026.

He also stressed the importance of raising awareness, through the use of all means of communication and the media, which are likely to make citizens aware of the dangers of carelessness and non-compliance with traffic regulations.

On the legal aspect, the Head of Government stressed the need to further mobilize all actors to comply with the laws in force, both at the level of the verbalization and at the level of technical control of vehicles, which will contribute, he insisted, to reduce traffic accidents and strengthen the general feeling of the need to respect the law.

El Othmani recalled in this sense the important effort deployed by the government in coordination with the various institutional actors to provide the basic infrastructure for the safe use of roads by mobilizing the financial resources needed to maintain existing roads and the construction of new ones in order to facilitate the economic and commercial channels and the movement of citizens.

The Head of Government urged stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the national road safety strategy 2017-2026 in accordance with his executive program, and to act, each in his own field, to provide all the financial and human resources to do so, without neglecting the work of communication with citizens and civil society actors to change behaviors on the roads.

Held on the sidelines of the commemoration of National Road Safety Day, scheduled for February 18, this meeting follows the January 13 meeting of the Standing Committee on Road Safety, which reviewed the results of its work in 2019 and worked to develop a draft road safety action plan for 2020, which is being reviewed by the Inter-ministerial Committee on Road Safety for approval. Committee members received a detailed presentation on the development of road safety indicators for the year 2019 and the review of the road safety action program in 2019. On that occasion they discussed and adopted the road safety action plan for 2020.

The meeting was marked by the presence of the Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Environment, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government, in charge of National Defense Administration, Secretaries General, as well as representatives of civil protection, the Royal Gendarme, national security and administrations represented in the committee.

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