Image caption: Ten-Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure – Senegal Steering Committee 

Press release: The Ten-Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure Project commenced in Senegal on Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 10:00 GMT, Dakar.

The Republic of Senegal officially launched “Senegal’s Ten-Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure” Project last Thursday in Dakar. The event, which brought together the main national and international road safety stakeholders, marks a strong commitment by the country to drastically reduce the number of crashes and deaths and injuries on its roads.

The implementation of the Ten Step Plan will be overseen by a Steering Committee comprised of key road safety organizations in Senegal. The Committee, whose inaugural meeting was held on January 22, on the eve of the Project Kick-off Workshop, will ensure effective coordination and monitoring of progress.

The three-year project is the result of collaboration between the Government of Senegal and national and international partners to strengthen institutional capacity and investments for safer roads in the country – with the aim of improving existing and future roads to achieve a three-star or higher safety standard for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and vehicle occupants.

The Ten Step Senegal Project, funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF), is a collaborative initiative involving the Government of Senegal through the Ministry of Infrastructure, Land, and Air Transport (MITTA) and National Road Agency ANASER, alongside a consortium led by the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) and including the International Road Federation (IRF), PIARC (World Road Association) and LASER International, with support from the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and FIA Foundation.

The World Health Organization estimates that road crashes claim more than 3,500 lives every year in Senegal, and result in over 40,000 more injuries, with a national economic burden of US $1.4 billion. National data shows road crashes are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 24, and the second leading cause among 25-39 year-olds, after AIDS.

Senegal is only the second country in the Africa to use the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) Ten Steps approach, following its award-winning implementation in Tanzania. The Ten Step Plan framework has been produced by the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) partners to support countries seeking to implement initiatives in relation to the “improved safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks”, the UN Convention on Road Traffic and Road Signs and Signals, and the achievement of UN Member States agreed Global Targets 3 and 4 for safer new and existing roads.

“When it comes to road safety, there is no miracle recipe, but above all, it takes courage, determination and vigilance at all times. With this plan, Senegal aims to revolutionize our vision of road safety, to build safe infrastructure, to develop performance monitoring tools, and to rigorously evaluate our progress,” said Alia Diouck, representative of the Minister of Infrastructure and Land and Air Transport Yankhoba Diémé.

UN Road Safety Fund Head Nneka Henry said, “Improving road safety requires long-term commitment and evidence-based holistic action by governments. We are proud to support this important project, and empower impact for improved road safety in Senegal, building on Tanzania’s previous Ten Step Plan success.”

Rob McInerney, CEO of the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) which leads the consortium of partners delivering the project said, “We applaud the Ministry’s commitment to eliminating high-risk roads, to save lives and reduce injuries.  As only the second application of the Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure, this is an exciting step for Senegal, demonstrating the country’s commitment to safer mobility and its road safety leadership in Africa and the world.”

“We are proud to see Senegal embracing the Ten Step approach which has proven to be so effective in instituting an evidence-based framework for action that saves lives,” commented Susanna Zammataro, Director General at the International Road Federation (IRF). “The sector has the tools to design and build safer roads, but these must be more widely known and implemented. It is about making meaningful decisions that will save thousands of lives,” she added.

For more information:

• About the Ten Step Senegal Project, visit gtkp.com/ten-step-project-senegal/ (with link to French translation)
• About the Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure, click here
• To see how safe Senegal’s roads are, the road attributes that matter and the Business Case for Safer Roads, explore iRAP’s Safety Insights Explorer Tool at irap.org/safety-insights-explorer/ (selecting Senegal)

– Ends –

Notes to editors:

Download the Press Release in English and French.

According to iRAP’s Safety Insights Explorer, achieving UN Target 3 for greater than 75% of travel on 3-star or better roads for all road users in Senegal by 2030 stands to save an estimated 1,185 lives each year, and 308,428 deaths and serious injuries over the 20-year life of road treatments, with an economic benefit of US$417 million to Senegal’s economy – $18.50 for every $1 spent.

Media contacts:

For ANASER:
Latir Mane
Director, Road Safety Promotion and Communication
latir.mane@anaser.sn | +221 77 740 42 06 (based Senegal)

For iRAP:
Nathalie Chiavassa, iRAP Safer Journeys Lead for Africa
Nathalie.chaivassa@irap.org  | +223 7937 3917 (based Mali)

For UNRSF:
Marianelly Diaz Medrano, Communications Advisor
marianelly.diazmedrano@un.org (based Belgium)

For IRF:
Lara Delutis, IRF Communications Officer
ldelutis@irfofficial.org | +41 22 306 0260

About ANASER

ANASER, the National Road Safety Agency of Senegal, was established in 2020 as part of Senegal’s Infrastructure and Transport Policy, and began operations in 2022. ANASER is responsible for developing and implementing the country’s National Road Safety Plan for 2021–2030.
anaser.sn/

About iRAP

iRAP and its partners work with the United Nations, the World Health Organization, governments, development banks, mobility clubs, industry, road safety NGOs and research organizations to provide evidence-based tools, training and support to help them make their roads safe. The iRAP road safety star rating methodology is free to use and provides an objective measure of the level of “built-in” road safety for vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians. A 1-star road is the least safe and a 5-star road is the safest. iRAP works with its partners to: inspect high-risk roads and develop Star Ratings, Risk Maps and Safer Roads Investment Plans; provide training, tools and support to develop and maintain national, regional and local capacity; and track road safety outcomes so that funding agencies can assess the economic and life-saving benefits of their investments. iRAP and its partners have star-rated 1.8 million kilometres of roads and layouts, and 1,940 schools, influencing the safety of $106 billion of infrastructure investment. 1.9 million kilometres have been mapped and nearly 76,000 people have been trained worldwide. According to research led by Johns Hopkins University, published in the respected journal PLOS One, road projects funded by governments, development banks and private sector road operators around the world using iRAP methodology and tools have prevented nearly 700,000 deaths and serious injuries in 74 countries between 2016 and 2024. iRAP’s Safety Insights Explorer sheds light on the human and economic impact of road crashes, how safe our roads are, and the Business Case for Safer Roads in countries and globally.
irap.org

About UNRSF

Since 2018, the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) mobilizes resources from private, public and individual donors to fund high-impact, scalable and sustainable road safety projects worldwide. These initiatives support better urban planning for school zones, low-emission non-motorized transport, speed management, and the development of cleaner, safer used vehicle standards. The Fund operates in 88 countries across five regions, making a real difference in communities where road safety improvements are needed most.
roadsafetyfund.un.org/

About IRF
The International Road Federation (IRF) is a global, independent, not-for-profit organisation with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Active since 1948, IRF is a membership-based organisation, representing leading corporate and institutional players drawn from the road and mobility sectors worldwide. Its mission is to promote the development of roads and road networks that enable access and sustainable mobility for all. Its approach is centred on key strategic components of knowledge transfer & information sharing, connecting people, businesses, and organisations, and working on policy & advocacy.
www.irfofficial.org