Introduction
In 2004 the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised
and publicly highlighted that road safety is increasingly
a global health concern. Worldwide over 3000 people die from
road traffic injury daily. Developing countries account for
approximately 85 per cent of the deaths worldwide and for
90 per cent of the annual disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)
lost because of road traffic injury. In addition road crashes
in developing countries account for 96 per cent of all children
killed globally as a result of road traffic injuries. Motor
vehicle crashes have a disproportionate impact on the poor
and vulnerable in society. Poorer people comprise the majority
of casualties and lack ongoing support in the event of long-term
injury. They also have limited access to post-crash emergency
care. In many developing countries, the costs of prolonged
medical care, the loss of the family breadwinner, the cost
of a funeral, and the loss of income due to disability can
push families into poverty and make existing poverty more
acute. Projections suggest that, between 2000 and 2020, road
traffic deaths will decline by 30 per cent in high-income
countries but increase substantially in developing countries.
This tragedy is currently estimated to cost developing countries
US$ 65 billion per year, more than they receive in development
assistance (WHO, 2004).
In 2005, The UN General Assembly highlighted the global road safety crisis. The centre of this crisis is in low and middle-income countries and is regarded as a public health, a poverty, and development issue, areas that international aid organisations continually strive to improve. In 2008, The UN General Assembly passed a resolution that encourages humanitarian organisations to develop and implement policies that address and improve the safety of their fleets
The scale of the crisis clearly requires increased and
sustained action at both global and country levels. This
presents challenges to government and other stakeholders
to increase and sustain action to prevent road traffic injury.
One stakeholder identified in the WHO report as being vital
in terms of response is ‘employers whose staff and
transport services are often major road users’. International
aid organisations are one such category as they are centrally
involved as road users and transport providers. They also
aim to promote the interests of the poor, a group on which
poor road safety has a disproportionate impact.
Road Safety and International Aid Organisations
Little is known on the impact the 70,000 vehicles operated
by International Aid Organisations in developing countries
has on the current road safety crises. However, it is difficult
to meet an aid worker who has lived in a low and middle-income
country for a number of years who does not know someone
that has been killed, or injured in a road crash. Road traffic
collisions are the number one cause of injuries among humanitarian
workers (WHO Newsletter on Road Safety 2005). There is enough
anecdotal evidence to suggest that International Aid Organisations
do not have a good road safety record and this is impacting
on their target group, the poor.
Road Safety and The Supply Chains of International
Aid Organisations
The role of International Aid Organisations is to deliver
product and services to the poor. The product and service
is delivered through the organisations supply chain. International
Aid Organisations that maintain a poor road safety record
weakens their own supply chain increase supply chain costs
and interrupt the flow of product and services to the poor.
International Aid Organisations operating under these conditions
are likely to be working towards increasing poverty than
working towards reducing poverty.
• Road safety is a supply chain issue and therefore
a senior management issue.
• It is not just a matter for the ‘driver' of
the vehicle; it is a broader supply chain issue.
• Poor road safety will result in a weak link in the
supply chain and contribute to higher supply chain costs.
The Way Forward For Road Safety Within International
Aid Organisations
If International Aid Organisations wish to improve their
own road safety record and show leadership within the transport
sector in developing countries an occupational road safety
culture must be developed. The people responsible for building
this culture are senior managers who must show commitment,
ability, and officially acknowledge the process for it to
be successful. International Aid Organisations who wish
to tackle occupational road safety must develop beliefs,
values, and knowledge regarding road safety that is driven
by credible research and includes all members of the organisation.
A safety culture starts with the involvement of every employee
from senior managers to part time workers who are sensitised
to focus on hazard recognition and mitigation. An organisations
road safety culture should be part of the organisations
overall health and safety policy and reinforce good road
safety attitudes and behaviour.
Training Courses Available to International
Aid Organisations
Vehicle Cost Management Training
Most International Aid Organisations use a vehicle logbook
recording system to measure the amount of kilometres travelled
and fuel used in a given period. Usually the information
stays in the logbook and is not converted into monthly reports
for senior managers. The logbooks do not collect the entire
vehicle KPI’s so the information collected is of little
value. In short most logbook systems are a waste of time
and money and increase transport supply chain costs without
adding value to the transport system. Transport is a major
supply chain cost, senior managers must have correct up
to date information if vehicle costs are to be controlled
and lowered.
Vehicle cost management training builds the capacity of
International Aid Organisations on how to collect the correct
information to measure vehicle-running costs. The information
is converted into vehicle cost comparison reports so senior
managers can monitor vehicle cost performance on a monthly
basis. This system also has a road safety element as high
vehicle running costs can point to poor driving. If costs
are correctly monitored then action can be taken before
poor driving weakens the organisations supply chain.
Vehicle Maintenance Training
International Aid Organisations often work in rural areas
that do not have the facilities to maintain and repair modern
vehicles. Drivers seldom receive training on the maintenance
requirements for the vehicles they drive. This results in
travelling long distances to have basic maintenance carried
out. The vehicle maintenance training builds the capacity
of International Aid Organisations drivers on the maintenance
requirements for the vehicles they drive, and trains them
how to safely conduct basic maintenance such as oil and
filter changes. This prolongs the amount of time the vehicle
can be stationed at a rural workstation as the driver can
conduct minor maintenance.
Driver Training Programme
“There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that driver
training, particularly advanced training, is not effective
as a discrete countermeasure to road trauma. Fleet running
costs may be reduced through training coupled with incentives,
because together they can prompt crash-free behaviours.
However, the evidence would suggest that driver trainers
on their own have not been able to change drivers’
behaviour. Some researchers have even suggested that students
may be better off if in fact they do no formal training”
(Dr Ron Christie Nov 2001 The effectiveness of driver
training as a road safety measure: A review of the literature).
Within International Aid Organisations driver training
courses seldom move away from traditional methods. Current
driver training research plays little or no role in the
methodology used to deliver driver-training courses. This
approach will increase the organisations crash rate and
organisation supply chain costs.
The driver-training programme is designed to influence a
change in attitude and behaviour. To prevent ‘at work’
road crashes means a commitment from senior managers to
increase transport resources. However, the potential financial
savings can be very significant to the organisation and
shows that the organisation is responding to road safety
as a health, poverty, and development issue. Areas they
have a mandate to positively influence. From the start the
additional resources are seen as an investment and not purely
as a cost. The programme must result in lower vehicle crash
rates; lower supply chain costs and an organisational safety
culture that takes road safety serious.
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