The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, 2025
At a time when Uganda continues to grapple with the human and economic cost of road crashes, voices of leadership and unwavering advocacy have never been more vital.
Ms. Roxanne Paisible, the Associate Director of Advocacy for The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI’s) Road Safety program, reminds us that honoring victims of road crashes must go hand in hand with fighting for safer roads, stronger policies, and a future where families no longer bear the pain of preventable loss. It is a call not merely to remember, but to act. GHAI has been ROSACU’s long-standing partner in all these, providing technical guidance, advocacy support, and mentorship in communications to advance the coalition’s efforts for policy change.
Through GHAI’s strategic support and the leadership of key government stakeholders, the Ministry of Works and Transport has implemented life-saving policies aimed at reducing road crash injuries and fatalities.
Key policy achievements between 2023 – 2025 include:
- Updated drink-driving, child restraint, helmet, and seatbelt regulations
- A nearly tenfold increase in the road safety budget
- Safer urban speed limits of 30 km/h
- In May 2025, Uganda launched its first Safe School Zones policy, mandating protective measures at schools, marking a continental first in child road safety.
Ms. Roxsanne urged that the work must not stop here. Advocates must continue bridging the gap between policies adopted and their implementation on the ground. According to her, Uganda has no shortage of effective road safety regulations, yet the daily loss of lives, including the recent bus tragedy on the Kampala-Kiryandongo-Gulu Highway that claimed over 60 lives, underscores the far-reaching consequences of road crashes.“These preventable tragedies affect us all, our families, communities, hospitals, economy, and society at large.”
Remember!
Remembrance must be transformed into a catalyst for stronger action. Every individual-community advocates, parents, teachers, youth leaders, journalists, and policymakers- has a role to play. Public engagement is essential to sustaining momentum for road safety beyond the spotlight. While the World Day of Remembrance is observed annually, road safety is a year-round, long-term commitment to saving lives. Consistent advocacy ensures policymakers prioritize and implement solutions for safer roads.
Globally, road crashes are the leading cause of death for children and youth aged 5-29. In Uganda, where nearly 80% of the population is under 35, road safety is not only a public health priority but also a means of safeguarding the nation’s present and future leaders. Protecting children and youth ensures they can thrive, reach their full potential, and lead successful lives.
Behind Every Statistic Is a Life – Ms Carmen Koo
Every day, we hear of lives lost in road crashes- families, young people, and couples fresh from weddings. These tragedies dominate headlines and remind us how fragile life is. Far too many lives have been taken prematurely, leaving families forever changed. Today, we remember every person killed or seriously injured on the road, the 50 million who have died and the hundreds of millions more affected.
Behind every statistic is a human life, and every day, lives are lost unless we act. We are all road users and collectively affected. We can advocate for stronger policies, implement proven safety measures, and remind loved ones to slow down, wear seatbelts, and use certified helmets. We can only honor the grief and loss of victims by taking action today to prevent future tragedies. We can protect lives, save others, and ensure no loss is in vain.
Behind Every Crash, a Family is Mourning
As the Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda (ROSACU), we join the rest of the world in commemorating the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. We honor the lives lost and the families forever affected by road crashes. In Uganda, 14 people die every day on our roads, leaving behind grief, trauma, and economic hardship for families and communities. These tragedies affect not only loved ones but also our nation’s productivity and social well-being.
On this day, we stand in solidarity with all who have lost family members or friends and offer our deepest condolences. The theme of this year “Remember, Support, and Act”, calls on each of us to be responsible and accountable on the road. We must educate ourselves, our families, and our communities, follow traffic rules, and support interventions that save lives.
Heavenly Father
Heavenly Father,
We come before You with hearts full of hope and minds mindful of the fragility of life. Bless all who travel on Uganda’s roads, and protect drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists from harm. Grant them patience, caution, and respect for one another. Guide our leaders, law enforcers, and communities to work together for safer roads. Comfort the families who have lost loved ones in road crashes, and strengthen us all to act responsibly, so that no more lives are lost. We ask this through Your holy name. Amen.
Fourteen Lives a Day: Uganda Must Act on Road Safety
The 2024 Uganda Police report reveal that, 5,144 people lost their lives on our roads, an average of 14 every day, equivalent to everyone in a taxi being killed daily. As we honor those who have died, this is an opportunity to reflect on what we can do as a country to prevent further loss.
From my road safety assessments, one of the major risk factors is speeding. Reducing speeds can prevent over 80% of road crashes. I urge drivers to follow speed limits and pedestrians to use gazetted walkways and zebra crossings.
The Ministry of Works and Transport, together with our partners, reaffirms its commitment to road safety. We continue to install and maintain road signs, markings, and lighting, conduct inspections, and engage communities. We call on everyone to be responsible, safeguard road infrastructure, and work together to make Uganda’s roads safer.
Remembrance Should Lead Us to Safer Choices
Remembering road crash victims should inspire action to prevent further loss of life. Let us commit to making safer choices and showing respect for all road users. As road users, with motorcycles being the most common means of transport in our communities, I call upon everyone to take personal responsibility for their own safety. Always ask your boda rider for a helmet, or acquire one for yourself to protect your life. Do not wait until you are in a situation where you cannot reverse the outcome. It is everyone’s responsibility to be more cautious on the road.