Target 9 Evaluation: Confronting Drink- and Drug-Impaired Driving in the Mano River Union

Impaired driving, whether from alcohol or drugs—is one of the most preventable but deadly behaviours on the road. The UN Global Target 9 aims to halve the number of road traffic injuries and deaths linked to alcohol and psychoactive substances by 2030. Yet, despite this clear goal, the reality across much of Africa, including the Mano River Union (MRU) countries, tells a more troubling story.

The 2023 Global Status Report on Road Safety indicates that alcohol use contributes to nearly 27% of all road traffic deaths globally, and Africa suffers disproportionately. With 19% of global road fatalities but only a fraction of the world’s vehicles, African countries, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire—face a steep challenge.

What makes this more alarming is that alcohol-related crashes are entirely preventable. Strong laws, lower blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits, random roadside testing, and public education have worked elsewhere. Countries like Sweden, Australia, and Brazil have demonstrated dramatic improvements through strategic policy and enforcement. The question is: can the MRU region follow suit?

Where Do MRU Countries Stand?

Road Safety Action International (RSAI) has conducted an independent evaluation of how the four MRU countries are progressing on Target 9. While all four countries have some form of drink-driving law, enforcement practices remain fragmented, underfunded, and inconsistent. Worse still, few have modernized their policies to address drug-impaired driving—a growing concern globally.

Key Findings on Impaired Driving Laws and Enforcement

Country Drink-Driving Law BAC Limit (General) Random Testing Post-Crash Testing Drug Driving Law National Target to Reduce Impaired Driving
🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire ✅ Yes ≤ 0.08 g/dl ❌ No ✅ Yes (All drivers tested) ❌ No ✅ Yes (2030)
🇬🇳 Guinea ✅ Yes ≤ 0.08 g/dl ❌ No ❌ No ✅ Yes ✅ Yes (2030)
🇱🇷 Liberia ✅ Yes ≤ 0.15 g/dl ❌ No ❌ No ✅ Yes ❌ No
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone ✅ Yes ≤ 0.08 g/dl ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes ✅ Yes (2030)

Critical Gaps in Implementation

Despite legislation, none of the MRU countries enforce routine alcohol testing during roadside checks, and only Sierra Leone currently implements random breath testing. In Côte d’Ivoire, alcohol testing is conducted after fatal crashes—a positive step—but in Liberia and Guinea, there is no post-crash testing protocol at all.

Equally concerning is Liberia’s high BAC limit of 0.15 g/dl, well above global recommendations. This legal threshold significantly diminishes the deterrent effect and allows impaired drivers to operate legally with potentially fatal consequences.

Drug-impaired driving is another silent killer. While Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have laws in place, none conduct testing or collect data on the impact of narcotics or other psychoactive substances on crash rates. Without such data, policies remain uninformed and ineffective.

Gobal Best Practices That Save Lives

Around the world, countries have implemented practical steps that deliver results:

  • ✅ Sweden has a BAC limit of 0.02 g/dl and aggressive roadside testing—yielding one of the lowest drink-driving crash rates globally.
  • ✅ Australia’s introduction of random breath testing in the 1980s led to a 22% drop in fatalities in New South Wales within a year.
  • ✅ Brazil’s Dry Law, banning any detectable alcohol in a driver’s system, cut traffic deaths by 15% within two years.

    • These results were not just due to law—but because of enforcement, public education, and political will.

RSAI’s Evaluation: Closing the Gap Between Law and Practice

RSAI’s ongoing Target 9 review is more than a scorecard. It is a call to action for MRU governments to translate legal frameworks into real-world protection. Evidence from the evaluation points to a serious enforcement gap and a lack of measurable targets or institutional coordination. By bridging these gaps, MRU countries could save thousands of lives over the next five years. RSAI is supporting this process through:

  • ✅ Benchmarking and reporting on compliance and progress.
  • ✅ Technical assistance to support policy revision and enforcement tools.
  • ✅ Stakeholder engagement to foster political will and investment in road safety reforms.

Policy Recommendations

To accelerate progress on Target 9, RSAI urges governments to:

  • ✅ Lower legal BAC limits to ≤ 0.05 g/dl, especially for novice and professional drivers.
  • ✅ Institutionalize random roadside alcohol and drug testing, supported by mobile units and trained enforcement officers.
  • ✅ Mandate toxicology testing in all fatal and serious-injury crashes to establish accountability and track trends.
  • ✅ Launch national behavior change campaigns, linking impaired driving with preventable deaths and emphasizing social responsibility.
  • ✅ Integrate drug-impaired driving into national enforcement strategies, including cannabis, opioids, and other psychoactive substances.

A Region at a Crossroads

The data is clear: impaired driving kills, and the cost of inaction is measured in human lives. The MRU countries now stand at a crossroads. They can maintain the status quo—fragmented laws, underfunded enforcement, and avoidable fatalities—or they can join the global momentum to meet Target 9 by 2030.

RSAI’s evaluation is not about pointing fingers—it’s about lighting the path forward. With focused action, political courage, and regional collaboration, the goal of halving alcohol- and drug-related road deaths is both achievable and urgent.