Improving Road Safety
in the OIC Member States
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11.4 Roads and Mobility
The Roads and Road Traffic Department is responsible for the national, provincial and regional
road network in Morocco. The Roads and Road Traffic Department applies various road design
standards, which have been developed for local conditions. Originally based on international
standards, these have been adjusted and tailored to fit the Moroccan situation. Road designs are
subject to road safety audit (pre-opening) although this is not mandatory.
The following remarks can be made regarding roads and mobility:
 The road network has been classified. The question is how functional the classification is: i.e.
is there synergy between the function, formand use of the roads, do the correct roads connect
activity centres, does the traffic correctly use these roads and are these roads correctly
designed for that use?
 There are procedures applied for the setting and posting of speed limits. However, the
credibility of the speed limit is not a factor and this should be considered (Aarts et al., 2009);
 There is a network classification system in place and design standards applied to the various
road classes. However, the classification systems is elaborate and consideration could be
given to simplifying this to reduce the number of road categories (Dijkstra, 2011; Schermers
& Vliet, 2001; Wegman & Aarts, 2006);
 Roadmaintenance programmes are in place and fed by regular inspections such as pavement
condition assessments, visuals, quality of road signs and markings;
 Vulnerable road users and facilities for these are not very well provided for in the rural areas
nor are there extensive guidelines covering these provisions in use. There is a new program
(2014- 2018) named PSAS dedicated to the infrastructural safety of rural roads.
11.5 Vehicles
This aspect relates to the conditions under which vehicles can safely make use of the road
network. According to best practice countries need to set safety standards and rules and control
these to ensure that vehicles on its roads continually meet these safety standards.
Making certain safety features compulsory to vehicles using the road network, lobbying
manufacturers to provide standard safety features, prohibiting certain vehicles, campaigning
among potential buyers to buy vehicles with higher safety ratings etc. are all actions that are
supportive of the concept of safer vehicles.
In 2013 Morocco had a vehicle population of 3,286,421 registered vehicles of which 2,314,826
passenger cars and other 4-wheeled light vehicles (World Health Organisation, 2015). According
to this source, there are no national vehicle standards applicable to frontal impacts, pedestrian
protection and electronic stability control.
Tasks in the vehicle chain
The governmental body that is assigned to licensing vehicles in Morocco is DTRSR who covers
most tasks in the licensing process. DTRSR are also responsible for the administrative