The Impact of Road Accidents to the Community of Iringa Municipality: Challenges in Reducing Risks

This paper examines impact of Road Accidents on community socio-economic activities in Iringa municipality. It assumes that accident as any disaster adversely affects people, property and environment. The paper employed questionnaire, interview, observation and documentary search for data collection. The study found that road accidents on-site conditions were caused by poor infrastructure, overloading of vehicles, law impunity, inadequacy of relevant laws, corruption, negligence of drivers, lack of road safety education and road traffic signs. Road accidents caused loss of lives, increase of dependence, destruction of property, increase of poverty, injuries and permanent disabilities. Provision of training to drivers, serious enforcement of the laws, provision of education to road users through public agitations, posters and television broadcasts, introduction of ad hoc inspection of road quality and transport facilities were some of the techniques used to curb the risk. Generally, road accidents caused a great loss of human, physical and natural resources. The intervention is on on-site conditions while very little attention is put on the root causes. It is recommended that, in addressing this human induced disaster the government in collaboration with other stakeholders should focus on the root causes in a participatory manner to bring community equity hence sustainable development.