By Hellena Nuwasima
According to report from Uganda Police Force for 2023, around 4806 people in Uganda die in the road, 81 percent are men, 19 percent women and 45 percent are motor riders. While many factors contribute to this crisis, poor vision is a significant but often overlooked cause. Studies reveal that nearly a quarter of drivers in Uganda face vision-related challenges, impairing their ability to react to road hazards. This silent issue continues to put countless lives at risk, especially among the Boda Boda community.
Lapaire Pan African eye wear Brand, SafeBoda, Liberty Insurance, and Enigma Kreative have launched the “Safe Eyes, Safe Rides” campaign as part of Road Safety Week 2024 to address this problem. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the link between clear vision and road safety, with activities like free eye tests, providing substantial support to the Boda Boda riders with eye problems and also workshops to educate riders on staying safe on the road.
“Do regular eye check-ups as motorcyclists for your safety” she emphasized.
She said that motorcyclists have underlying eye problems they are unaware of because the work they do which may make there eyes dry, genetically problems and lack of enough rest and its only through testing can these issues be detected and addressed.
Mr. Derrick Katushabe, Public Relations and Advocacy Lead at SafeBoda explained that Safe begins with your body, how stable are your legs, arms and eyes since they are the most valuable tool on the road
“By addressing vision problems and raising awareness, the “Safe Eyes, Safe Rides” campaign is not just improving individual lives but also making Uganda’s roads safer for everyone”he added.
He thanked all the partners for joining this campaign and called upon all riders to make it a priority to have there eyes tested at least twice a year to stay safe and avoid unnecessary risks.”
Olugendo Fit, a project by Enigma creative that’s set to target 3 million road users in 2 years, ensuring riders and drivers’ safety on the road through intensive awareness, and addressing their vision problems in partnership with Lapaire.
