The Inspectorate of Vehicles (IOV) on Saturday started a training for all driving school Instructors with the aim of imparting knowledge and skills in a bid to improve road safety in Uganda. 

The three days workshop is being conducted at Police headquarters in Naguru. 

 “We have embarked on training of Instructors as part of our change management to plan to have driving schools change the way in which they administer the knowledge they have to learners so that we can be able to achieve the Global road safety action plan of reducing accidents by 50% by the year 2030,” said Eng. Patrick Waiswa, the Ag CP Inspectorate of Vehicles (IOV).

Eng. Waiswa says that “This engagement helps to pass the knowledge of road safety to learners.”

“We are telling them the major accident cause and how to prevent them, and also giving them tips on how to produce good and disciplined drivers while on the road.”

The 2022 Annual Police Crime Report shows that there was a 9% increase in the total number of persons that died as a result of road crashes from 4,159 in 2021 to 4,534 in 2022.

To this, the Force has put in strategies in place and are aimed at reducing road accidents.

These are: enforcement of traffic laws and regulations through targeted operations mainly focusing on boda bodas and major risk factors such as speed, driving under influence of alcohol/drugs, seatbelt use and distracted driving; building capacity of Traffic Personnel to handle the road safety challenges; community engagement that involves Local Council Leaders, religious leaders, Community-based Organisation at grassroots will be emphasised; automation of IOV processes to reduce the DMCs on the road; data management to ensure Traffic and Road Safety decisions are evidence-based; strengthening monitoring of CCTV to identify traffic offenders and aid in crash investigations; and enhancing integrated highway patrols for security and safety.