Safe vehicles are at the core of road safety. But ensuring that the fleet on the street is road-worthy is not something that any stakeholder can do alone. Rather, it requires cooperation. To guide stakeholders through this process, TRANS-SAFE has worked with partners across Africa to deliver 5 key recommendations to achieve safe vehicles:
Adoption of Progressive Standardized Regulations
Standardizing the regulations for new vehicles is key to ensuring the quality of vehicles and thei components. These can be adapted step-by-step from existing UNECE Vehicle Regulations.
Establish Vehicle Technical Inspections (VTI) Environment and Methodology
VTI systems are crucial to ensuring that vehicles are safe. In Rwanda, the majority of vehicles are between 15-20 years old and have driven around 200,000km. An established VTI environment would ensure the safety of vehicles on the road, new and old. This environment could also be used to inspect imported vehicles and be more selective with ones that enter the country. Support from manufacturers to local mechanics
Direct collaboration between manufacturers and local repair shops is vital to develop a repair shop network that not only keeps vehicles safe, but increases their lifespans. Manufacturers should work technicians and give them the tools to manage new technologies.
Change in import tax approach
In many countries, taxes are applied to protect local industries, but this can often be at the expense of individuals who either cannot find what they need or pay more to get it. Selective taxation can increase affordability and improve the global chain of aftermarket vehicle components.
ADAS retrofit device
As a more immediate solution, adapting vehicle fleets with modern technologies would help prevent and reduce the number of accidents. In particular, equipping old vehicles with Advanced Driving Assistance Systems would help drivers navigate potentially dangerous situations.
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