Target 5 in Focus: Closing the Gaps in Vehicle Safety Across the Mano River Union
In the global effort to halve road traffic deaths by 2030, vehicle safety remains one of the most under-addressed but critical fronts. Across Africa, vehicles—particularly used imports—are increasingly common, yet alarmingly unsafe. In many cases, these vehicles arrive stripped of essential safety features, mechanically compromised, or entirely unfit for road use. While driver behaviour and infrastructure often take center stage in road safety discourse, it is the silent danger of unsafe vehicles that quietly contributes to thousands of preventable deaths each year.
Target 5 of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030) brings this issue into focus. It calls for all new and used vehicles—whether produced, sold, or imported—to meet high-quality safety standards aligned with United Nations regulations or nationally recognized equivalents. In practical terms, this means requiring seatbelts, functioning brakes, airbag systems, pedestrian protection, and roadworthiness as standard—not optional. It also implies inspection mechanisms at import points, regular national testing, and clear laws that hold vehicle condition to account.
In the Mano River Union (MRU)—comprising Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire—the status of compliance with Target 5 is mixed and mostly insufficient. RSAI’s independent evaluation reviewed each country across three indicators: the presence of safety standards for vehicles, the enforcement of technical inspection programs, and regulation over used vehicle imports. What emerges is a sobering picture: no MRU country has achieved full compliance, and in some, foundational laws are entirely absent.
🚦 Where Do the MRU Countries Stand?
The table below summarizes the current standing of each MRU country based on the three primary criteria evaluated:
| Country | Safety Standards for Vehicles | Technical Inspection Program | Used Vehicle Import Regulations | Public Procurement Safety Measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LR Liberia | ❌ No standards in place | ❌ No mandatory inspection system | ❌ No restriction on unsafe imports | ❌ No fleet safety requirements |
| SL Sierra Leone | ❌ Absent | ❌ No inspection system | ❌ No formal import policy | ✅ Safety required for government fleet |
| GN Guinea | ❌ Absent | ✅ Law exists (limited enforcement) | ✅ Basic import rules in place | ✅ Considered in procurement |
| CI Côte d’Ivoire | ✅ National standards in place | ✅ Mandatory technical inspections | ✅ 5-year age limit & screening | ✅ Fully integrated into procurement |
From this snapshot, Côte d’Ivoire leads the region, having put in place periodic inspection systems, age-based import restrictions, and public procurement rules that prioritize vehicle safety. Guinea has some policies on the books but struggles with implementation. Sierra Leone has taken first steps with its public fleet but lacks systemic protections for general road users. Liberia lags furthest behind, with no law mandating inspections, no safety requirement for imports, and no oversight over government vehicle standards.
The implications of these findings are profound. Without safe vehicles, even the most well-designed road infrastructure and well-enforced traffic laws cannot protect road users. Vehicles that lack basic protection features significantly increase the severity of crashes, turning minor collisions into deadly events. The burden is especially heavy on pedestrians and informal transport users—those least protected and most reliant on the vehicle safety decisions made at the policy level.
Meeting Target 5 is both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge lies in closing legislative gaps, building technical inspection capacity, and resisting the continued inflow of low-quality vehicles from overseas. But the opportunity is even greater: to set a new standard for safety in the region, to protect lives at scale, and to align vehicle markets with global best practices. Governments must not only adopt vehicle safety standards but also ensure compliance through customs enforcement, roadside inspections, and national vehicle databases.
To move forward, RSAI urges MRU countries to prioritize vehicle safety as a core pillar of their road safety strategies. Liberia and Sierra Leone should adopt legislation mandating technical inspections and regulating imports. Guinea should strengthen enforcement of its existing laws. Côte d’Ivoire should continue leading by aligning its standards with UN regulations and expanding its enforcement network. Regionally, the MRU Secretariat and ECOWAS can support this effort by developing a harmonized framework for safe vehicle imports and facilitating cooperation at border points.
In road safety, the vehicle is the final line of defense. If it fails, lives are lost. For the MRU countries to meet Target 5 and protect their citizens, vehicles must be treated not just as goods on wheels, but as safety-critical systems that require regulation, oversight, and accountability.
Because when lives are riding on four wheels—or two—there’s no room for compromise.