Africa adopts landmark Road Safety Charter
Africa has adopted its first continent-wide, legally binding road safety framework, marking a major step toward tackling the region’s road safety crisis.
The African Road Safety Charter entered into force in March after 15 African Union Member States ratified the agreement. The milestone was reached when the Republic of Mozambique became the fifteenth country to ratify on 11 February 2026.
Lerato D. Mataboge, the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, called the ratification a “strong political statement to preserve human life” and accelerate progress toward safer roads, safer vehicles and safer road users.
“The Charter's entry into force gives us the legal foundation we need to hold governments accountable and drive real progress,” Mataboge said.
The Charter comes at a critical moment. Road traffic deaths in the WHO African Region rose by 17% in the decade to 2021, reaching nearly 250,000 fatalities every year. Despite progress in several countries, the Region continues to record the highest road fatality rate globally.
Inside the Charter
The Charter aligns African countries with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and the African Road Safety Action Plan 2021–2030, which aim to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
It requires countries to take action, including:
Establishing national road safety agencies
Enforcing laws that meet global best practices on the five key road safety risk factors: speeding, drink-driving, helmet use, seatbelts and child restraints
Developing national road crash data systems to guide policy
Investing in safer road infrastructure and vehicle safety standards
Strengthening pre-hospital and post-crash emergency care.
Dr Nhan Tran, Head, Violence and Injury Prevention at WHO, called the Charter’s entry into force “a major milestone” and a “clear commitment to urgent action.”
“This is exactly the kind of systemic, legally-binding intervention that can help turn the rising number of road deaths around,” Tran said.
WHO has supported the Charter’s entry into force alongside the African Union Commission and the African Road Safety Observatory, advocating for ratification and helping countries strengthen legislation, data systems, national strategies and emergency care. Its Global Status Report on Road Safety provided key evidence underpinning the Charter.
Fifteen countries have ratified the Charter so far: Benin, Central African Republic, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.
Whilst undoubtedly a huge step forward, what comes next will be critical for continent-wide progress with the majority of African Union Member States still to officially ratify the Charter.
