An in-depth analysis by the Traffic and Road Safety Directorate has revealed that reckless driving, specifically speeding and careless overtaking, accounted for the highest number of road crashes in 2024.
According to the Road Safety Report under the recently released Annual Crime Report for the year ended 2024, Uganda recorded 25,107 road accidents, an increase of 6.4% from the previous year. Of these, 4,434 were fatal, 13,134 classified as serious, and 7,539 were minor.
Speaking at the police headquarters, Traffic and Road Safety Director Nuwabiine Lawrence provided a detailed breakdown of the report, revealing that 5,657 crashes were attributed to reckless overtaking, while speeding alone resulted in 5,505 crashes.
“Speeding and reckless overtaking contributed to 44.5% of all crashes in 2024. If we are to curb road carnage, we must address these two issues,” Nuwabiine stated.
Other factors contributing to road crashes included distracted driving, mobile phone use, dazzling vehicle lights (especially from trucks and station wagons), obstacles on roads, traffic signal violations, and failure to yield the right of way. These collectively accounted for 335 crashes.
Additionally, 946 pedestrians were involved in crashes due to careless road-crossing behavior. Rear-end collisions and side-swipes made up 16.2% and 17.7% of crashes, respectively, while pedestrian-related collisions were 19.5%, making them one of the leading causes of road accidents.
“What do we mean by rear-end collisions? This is what we call tailgating,when a driver follows another vehicle too closely without leaving a reasonable braking distance. This is an offense, and failure to observe it leads to collisions,” Nuwabiine explained.
He added that side-swipes, often caused by avoiding potholes or improper overtaking, were on the rise despite narrow roads.
The report highlighted that 1,720 motorcyclists lost their lives in 2024, marking a 13.2% increase from the previous year. Additionally, 676 motorcycle passengers died, an increase of 10.1%.
“When you combine the deaths of motorcyclists and their passengers, they account for 43.3% of all road fatalities. We urge all stakeholders to step up efforts to address the motorcycle crisis on our roads,” Nuwabiine said.
Single-vehicle crashes, in which drivers lose control and collide with obstacles, accounted for 9% of accidents. Meanwhile, crashes caused by stray animals on roads represented 1.6% of total incidents.
More road accidents and fatalities occur on Sundays than on any other day, despite fewer vehicles being on the road compared to weekdays. The report recorded 3,790 crashes on Sundays in 2024, higher than on any other day.
“Sunday is a crash hour, and we are seeing the highest fatalities recorded on this day,” Nuwabiine noted.
Saturdays followed closely with 3,765 crashes, while Fridays recorded 3,689 accidents. In contrast, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays had the lowest number of crashes.
“Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are the deadliest on our roads. If we are to reduce these crashes, we need to focus on controlling behaviors associated with these days,” Nuwabiine emphasized.
The report also revealed that the most dangerous time for road users is between 4:00 PM and 5:59 PM, when the highest number of accidents and fatalities occur.
“During this timeframe, we lost 894 people in 2024 alone. Many accidents occur as people rush home or engage in weekend leisure activities,” Nuwabiine explained.
The report revealed that individuals below the age of 35 accounted for 55.7% of all road fatalities, with 2,867 deaths recorded in this age bracket. Additionally, men made up 80% of all road fatalities, compared to 20% for women.
“Young men need to change their driving behavior, especially on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. These are the most dangerous times, and reckless driving is cutting young lives short,” Nuwabiine warned.
He further noted that intoxication is a major problem, with many crashes linked to alcohol and drug use. “The more toxic substances we consume, the more deaths and serious injuries we register on our roads,” he added.
