Safety team determined to curb road accidents

Statistics from the Ministry of Transport indicates that 3,500 accidents occur in the country each year causing an average death toll of 13,000. It further points out that 82 per cent of accidents are caused by drivers.

In order to contribute towards the initiative of Transport Minister to curb road accident, a body known as Save Driving Work Team, Sdwt, has taken the challenge to curb road accidents not only in their various enterprises but also target enterprises specialised in the transportation of people and good, public transporter’s trade union and other road users through sensitisation and training.

Sdwt created by the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company, Cotco, the Energy of Cameroon, eneo, Geodis Projects Cameroon, and Emploi Service have a common vision for Cameroon- to reduce road accidents.

Speaking during the launching of the first edition of Save Driving Day in Douala, Cotco’s General Manager, Christian Lenoble, said road accidents can be avoided if each road user respects the road code and constantly check the state of his/her vehicle.

To him, his company owns many vehicles that ply 1.5 million km of road each year, thus comprehensive programmes to train drivers, carry out offensive driving and monitor equipments in vehicle have increased their performance and reduce accident in company.

Eneo’s Deputy General Manager, Oumarou Hamandjoda disclosed that 1,022 company vehicles cover 20 million km of road, using 700 professional and unprofessional drivers to transport 3,600 employees. Given the risk they are faced with, the company will associate drivers in a series of sensitisation campaigns to lessen the risk of accident.

Like Hervé Talla of Emploi Service, the representative of Geodis, Thierry Dassonville, is out to ensure the lessening of road accident in Cameroon. Earlier, the Secretary General in the Ministry of Transport, Soh Jean Pierre, commended Sdwt’s initiative, which is in line with his Ministry’s road safety campaigns project.