National Response To Liberia’s Road Safety Crisis Sought

For over three decades, road safety in Liberia has remained an unresolved crisis, claiming thousands of lives and leaving many more with life-altering injuries. The continuous loss of lives on Liberian roads is unacceptable and should be addressed as a national emergency. The inaction, weak enforcement, and lack of political will across successive governments have left the country’s roads safety situation in a perilous state, with two- and three-wheeler operators (motorbikes and kekehs) at the center of this growing disaster. Successive administrations have failed to implement sustainable road safety measures. Instead, we have seen haphazard and reactionary restrictions on motorcycle movements on certain roads, a move that does little to solve the root causes of crashes. This piecemeal approach, without a well-defined national strategy, has only shifted the danger to other areas rather than mitigating it. Road safety must not be treated as an afterthought but as a core national development priority. Alarming Road Safety Incidents That Could Have Been Avoided The recent Totota Inferno Incident, multiple deadly crashes on the Kakata Highway and Buchanan Highway and the recent devastating sewer truck crash into a motorcycle rider near the Gabriel Tucker Bridgeare just a few examples of the daily tragedies plaguing our roads. These incidents could have been mitigated—or completely avoided—if the Government prioritized road safety with urgency and commitment. Despite repeated calls for action, Liberia continues to experience a surge in motorcycle-related crashes, worsened by the lack of clear national management framework of road safety sector, poor road userbehaviours (reckless speeding, drink driving, driving on opposite lane, etc.), lack of fundamental road safety feature on our roads, unregulated vehicle importation and the lack of a roadworthiness inspection, including a poor post crash care system.  While we grapple with all of these causes of road crashes, RSAI strongly condemns the violent response by motorcyclists whenever a crash occurs—resorting to rioting and attacking law enforcement is not a solution to this crisis. Instead, RSAI calls on the Merged Federation of Motorcycle and Tricycle Union of Liberia (M-FOMTUL) to take responsibility for its members by promoting helmet use, ensuring proper rider attire, and fostering a culture of responsible riding. Urgent Measures Needed The Liberia National Police (LNP) must step up in enforcing traffic laws more effectively and consistently. Enforcement should not be chaotic or punitive but rather systematic and organized. When a motorcyclist is arrested for a traffic violation, they must be given the chance to safely park off the road rather than causing further road hazards. A Call for a National Stakeholder Dialogue To ensure a sustainable and structured response to this crisis, Road Safety Action International is calling for a National Stakeholder Dialogue on Road Safety to be convened in the soonest possible time. This dialogue should bring together government agencies, transport unions, civil society, law enforcement, local and international partners to develop a comprehensive national strategy for road safety. This strategy must bebroadly focus on the increase in road crashes, with particular focus on the increasing chaos surrounding two- and three-wheelers and outline clear measures to reduce road crashes and fatalities. The rise in fatal road crashes—especially those involving motorcycles and tricycles—has reached an alarming level, creating tension in the country. RSAI has been actively engaging local, national and global leaders and advocating for sustained financing for road safety in Liberia. Henceforth, Liberia cannot afford to continue ignoring road safety while innocent citizens perish on its roads. The time for political lip service is over. The government must act now!

Contact:

Road Safety Action International

Email: info@roadsai.org