Road crash fatalities crossed ‘red line’ in 2024
The traffic Police have now classified road safety as a public health concern, warning that the rising fatalities have crossed a “red line.”
The Director of Traffic and Road Safety Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP), Lawrence Nuwabiine, giving an update on the recent police road safety report. This was during a weekly police briefing held at the headquarters in Naguru. (Photo by Alfred Ochwo)
Simon Masaba
Journalist @New Vision
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Uganda’s road crash fatalities reached alarming levels last year, with 5,144 people losing their lives—a 7% increase from 4,806 deaths recorded in 2023.
The traffic Police have now classified road safety as a public health concern, warning that the rising fatalities have crossed a “red line.”
Speaking in response to the released Police Annual Crime Report 2024, traffic Police director Lawrence Niwabiine said the country is witnessing a worrying trend in road crashes, with both fatalities and injuries increasing year after year.
The report was released on February 19, 2025, at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala by Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba.
“This is not a small number. It is a big number and these fatalities have now crossed a red line,” Niwabiine said while briefing the media during the joint security briefing at Naguru on February 24: “This should be treated as a public health concern in this country. We need to move at a strategic level and contain this situation”.
The total number of road crashes in 2024 stood at 25,107, marking a 6.4% increase compared to previous years.
These included 4,434 fatal crashes, 13,134 serious crashes, and 7,539 minor crashes.
The number of casualties from these crashes reached 25,808, up from 24,728 in 2023—representing a 4.4% increase.
Niwabiine noted that December recorded the highest number of crashes, with 2,445 incidents occurring during the festive season.
Serious injuries also saw an upward trend, rising from 16,736 in 2023 to 17,013 in 2024, reflecting a 1.7% increase.
The traffic Police director emphasized the categorisation of crashes, explaining that fatal crashes are those where a person dies on the spot or succumbs to injuries sustained in a crash.
Serious crashes involve individuals sustaining life-threatening injuries, while minor crashes refer to incidents where no persons are hurt, regardless of vehicle damage.
The report further analysed the annual trend of road crashes from 2022 to 2024, highlighting a consistent rise in fatalities, serious injuries, and minor crashes.
With the increasing toll of road crashes, authorities are now calling for urgent interventions to enhance road safety and prevent further loss of life.