The silent killer: rethinking safety on boda-bodas

Many times when we use  boda bodas-motorbike taxis, we ignore our safety responsibility as passengers. After witnessing a helmeted boda boda rider racing on high speed skillfully between cars, changing lanes on a congested highway, with a passenger clinging on the back, all the onlookers were sympathetic and terrified of what was to befall the innocent passenger. It was clear the cyclist was about to cause an accident from his perceived demonstration of skillful act in riding the bike. This is what most passengers go through once they go on the back of the motorbike taxi: they lose control over the rider and how they ride them. To some it is a blind trust put in the rider with the confidence that they know what they are doing. Unfortunately, evidence shows most riders don’t appreciate the consequences of their bad riding practices until they get accidents. Something that reminded me a friend who got an accident in January 2015.

In January 2015, Bosca Munawa a resident of Nansana was a victim of bad motorcycle riding.Dressed in a short trouser, confined in the family seating room, trying to speak uncoordinated words from his school time experiences, music genres he used to enjoy, and politics he still has as part of his  memory is now Bosco Munawa’s state: He lost his memory.

Now 29 Bosco is at his parents’ home in Nansana struggling to recover from the mental trauma that he developed from a boda boda accident. He has recovered from most of the other physical injuries but his brain now does not function in a coordinated way. Curing his situation is not something the Doctors can guarantee, though his parents still have faith and hope for his healing.Bosco was the sole bread winner, of a family of five; but his situation makes him unable to provide for his family. His wife is now struggling with the children with the minimal support she gets from some relatives. “Our lives were shattered by his accident” she says.

[su_pullquote]Boda-bodas are the fastest growing mode of transportation used in urban areas in Uganda. They are not only cheap, but also reliable in case of any emergency. Their availability and easy access to difficult places makes them a “unique door to door” transportation service. These seems to be the incentives that make most passengers forget about their potential risks and safety responsibilities[/su_pullquote]

Boda bodas- leading cause of accidents
Though to many motorcycle users, boda bodas have provided the much needed transportation convenience, reports indicate that they are also the leading cause of road accidents in Uganda.

According to Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, there are there are over 230,000 motorcycle accidents every year in Uganda.Motorcycle riding is dangerous,” Kivumbi Musoke a boda boda rider along Northern bypass shared his view, before starting on the mile journey from his work-station- what he termed as a house job. “It scares me constantly, but I’m willing to trade that (fear) to earn a living.” He said.

“Kampala Central is the motorcycling capital of Uganda,” said Dr. Stephen Kasiima, Head of the Directorate of traffic and Road Safety. “It’s because there are more people-who find it easier to beat the traffic jam during the rush hours than anywhere else  and as a result there are more injuries and  deaths too.”

The need to beat the morning and evening traffic jam makes many passengers to quickly choose boda bodas without thinking about safety.

 

Most Kampala dwellers don’t think about their safety on the motorcycles their only wish is to reach in time, giving instructions and commands to cyclist to ride faster is a common thing for passengers while forgetting the most important thing to consider-safety. Most times a motorcycle rider is given instructions to brave the congested freeways and busy surface streets including changing lanes disregarding any traffic rules and safety precautions.Both the passengers and riders easily forget that changing traffic lanes on the most dangerous freeway in Kampala is regarded as one of the most dangerous thing one would think of doing.Riding on a motorcycle is far more dangerous than driving a car/boarding a taxi. Research reported in the East and Central African Journal of Surgery shows a cyclist’s chances of injury or death in a crash is higher than people in automobiles.

 

In Kampala only , records of 921 (61.4%) of the 1500 trauma cases admitted during the study period were retrieved and analyzed. Road traffic crashes(RTCs) contributed 51% of all trauma patients seen. Of the 428 patients admitted after RTCs, 75% were due to boda boda accidents.

The research also shows that most motorcycle- accidents are as a result of bad driving, violation of traffic rules and inexperienced riders. It is also true that some passengers are not responsible to take charge when on a motorcycle, so when an accident happens the blame is usually thrown to the rider forgetting that they are equally responsible, the impact is on both –and usually long lasting.

Below are the different info-graphics showing reports on road traffic accidents and surveys conducted by the Media Challenge on boda boda safety and who is responsible. Hover and Click on the each tab to see the results.

Who is responsible for boda boda safetyVenngage Infographics

Boda Boda Use & Road Traffic CrashesVenngage Infographics

[The World Health Organization (WHO) Road Safety Report 2015 -East AfricaVenngage Infographics

Bosco like many others, he was not wearing a helmet at the time he went down. Severe head injuries  are obvious, not the exception, in such crashes, safety experts say.

According to the Boda Boda Association in Kampala there are over 300,000 motorcycles in Kampala and 13,773 with the operating license. The increasing number of boda bodas has raised road safety concerns as the number of injuries attributed to them continues to rise.

For at least a decade , Kampala City has led all other districts in the number boda boda accidents. The 2014 annual traffic report indicated that a total of 1,762 serious accidents involving motorbikes happened in the capital city.

Part of the problem was a lack of riding experience and safety awareness, according to Norman Musinga, the Kampala Regional Traffic Police Commander boda boda riders lack the public service vehicle license and motor third party and permits. This pose a great danger to passengers.

The boda boda safety concerns are however sometimes refuted by the cyclist themselves. Most bodaboda riders, young and old, are quick to defend their two-wheeled machines and say that media sensationalism, hostile motorists and uninformed politicians exaggerate the dangers and promote a negative image, making their job difficult.

“Boda bodas have an image problem,” said Frank Smart, Chairman boda boda Najjanankumbi Stera stage in an interview opposing what politicians and people say about them. He noted that a boda boda is like any other form of employment, and should be respected.

Measures to reduce road accidents
To reduce the high rates of traffic accidents leading to deaths, the Ugandan government, working with other agencies created initiatives to address road safety, such as the Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative (UHVI). Their focus is on road safety trainings for helmet laws.

Long after the Helmet Law was introduced in 2008 in Uganda as a safety measure, compliance remains very low. The law requires motorcyclists a helmet, a driving permit and a Third Party insurance for their bikes. It also requires passengers to wear a helmet.

However more accidents continue to occur to both cyclists and passengers causing severe head injuries.

Safety beyond the helmet

When Henry Galabuzi- a motorcyclist, 38, got an accident in December, 2014, he recalls I had a helmet but my other parts of the body were unprotected and that is how I lost my leg.Henry’s position is popular with a lot of boda boda enthusiasts who cherish their work greatly that riding freely without a helmet gives them a lot of comfort. And they believe that helmets don’t provide much protection. They stress the fact that its experience and the responsibility of the passenger to direct the riders.

Click On the play button to listen to the voices of

boda boda riders on what they think safety means.

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Agaba innocent has been in a boda boda business for over 15 years and he moves with two helmets one for him and the other for a passenger. When asked what safety on bodaboda means to him. “He says it’s not the helment that ensures safety, it’s the rider and the passenger”.
“I have nothing against helmets,” Innocent said. He wears one sometimes and he adds “it’s a personal choice”, he feels riders and passengers should be free to choose when to wear a helmet or not.

However motorcycle safety experts and doctors say there is a high risk and cost attached to that freedom of choice. Daily monitor reported from Dr. Baterana Byaruhanga, the Executive Director of Mulago National Referral hospital that the hospital incurs over 1.5 billion shillings on treating boda boda patients every year. “When weighed against the annual budget allocation of about 2.4 billion shillings to the Directorate of Surgery, this translates to 62.5%.”

There is no doubt that helmets reduce the number and severity of head injuries in motorcycle accidents, police reports

The Directorate of Traffic and safety in Uganda recommends the use of helmet and understanding of traffic and safety rules. Police have thus moved to make it mandatory for all boda boda cyclists in Kampala to have professional skills of traffic and safety as well as a requirement of a rider’s permit before being allowed to ferry passengers.

Despite Uganda having the Helmet Law, observance is still low, it’s therefore important to respond to what experts say about the severity of accidents without a helmet, observing traffic rules and regulation and being responsible riders and passengers which all contribute to boda boda safety.