Improving Road Safety
in the OIC Member States
115
Road safety has recently become a national priority in Cameroon with strong political support
and a national sense of urgency from both the public and private sectors to redress the growing
road safety problems. Similar to many African countries, Cameroon is signatory to the Moscow
declaration of the UN Decade of Action although it has not as yet managed to formally establish
a lead agency responsible for road safety management. Furthermore, the country has no current
road safety strategy in place as a follow up to the last strategy covering the period 2009-2014.
According to personal communications with politicians and senior government officials, the
development of a new road safety strategy is in the process of being commissioned. The new
strategy will be aligned this with ambitions of the UN Decade of Action and express the intent of
the government and civil society to redress the most pressing road safety issues. A primary goal
is the establishment of an agency responsible for road safety management.
Road safety management in Cameroon does not comply with the requirements of a Safe Systems
Approach and rates as relatively poor when compared to the international state of the art. At a
central government level there is little evidence of a results orientated approach to road safety
management. There is a general lack of coordination and although there is a lead agency, it does
not have the support of a reliable road traffic crash database with which to inform and develop
relevant policies and strategies. Monitoring of performance targets does not take place and there
is a general lack of accountability. The functions relating to funding, legislation, monitoring and
evaluation, research and promotion are not a structural part of road safety management and
appear to be the responsibility of one or more departments and/or ministries without any form
of central co-ordination. Drivers, vehicles and roads are generally of low standard and a lack of
enforcement and supporting road safety infrastructure, all contribute to a declining road safety
situation. The country lacks adequate resources to remedy the current problems and skills are
needed across all the pillars supporting a safe road system.