Les accidents de la route à Ouagadougou, un révélateur de la gestion urbaine

Abstract

La relation entre mobilité et extension urbaine a donné naissance à plusieurs modèles de ville. Les pratiques d’aménagement, fortement dépendantes de l’automobile, ont participé au processus d’étalement urbain caractéristique des pays du nord. Ce modèle observé également dans les capitales africaines repose toutefois sur des modes de déplacements très variés, sources d’une grande vulnérabilité pour les usagers et d’un nombre élevé de traumatismes issus des accidents de la route. Cet article vise à comprendre en quoi l’aménagement urbain participe de cette vulnérabilité dans la capitale du Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. L’étude repose sur la géolocalisation des lieux d’accidents et des entrevues réalisées auprès des acteurs communaux. Les résultats montrent un lien fort entre étalement urbain et importance des accidents de la route de façon originale puisqu’ils sont caractéristiques des axes revêtus. Le développement de l’habitat est au coeur des politiques urbaines, la question de la mobilité est beaucoup plus récente, imposée par la croissance démographique. Cependant, la politique des transports en commun reste embryonnaire, le moyen de déplacement privilégié est le deux roues. Le pouvoir local ne semble pas avoir pour vocation de protéger les populations vulnérables en circulation, la valeur dominante en matière de conception du réseau routier reposant sous la garantie d’une mobilité toujours plus fluide et négligeant la sécurité routière. L’extension du réseau bitumé apparaît donc comme un facteur favorable à la multiplication des accidents de la route au Burkina Faso.The interconnection between mobility and urban expansion has given rise to many different city models. Urban development practices that are strongly automobile-dependent have contributed to the process of urban sprawl that is characteristic of Northern countries. This model is also seen in African capitals; however, there it is based on a wide variety of modes of transportation, a situation of great vulnerability for users and resulting in a high number of traumatic injuries from road accidents. The aim of this article is to understand how urban development contributes to this vulnerability in the capital city of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. The study was based on geolocalization of crash sites and on interviews with local actors. The results showed, in an innovative way, a strong link between urban sprawl and amount of traffic crashes, as such accidents are typical of paved roadways.Residential development is the core focus of urban policies in Ouagadougou, with the issue of mobility being much more recent, imposed by demographic growth. However, because urban public transport policy is still in its early stages, most people still rely on two-wheeled vehicles for transportation. Local authorities do not appear to see the protection of vulnerable populations in traffic as their mandate. In designing the road network, their dominant preoccupation seems to centre on always ensuring faster flow, while road safety is neglected. The expansion of the paved ...

A deliberative dialogue as a knowledge translation strategy on road traffic injuries in Burkina Faso: a mixed-method evaluation

“…In the same report, WHO data estimated the mortality rate at 30 per 100,000 population [ 19 ]. In Ouagadougou, the country’s capital, a steady increase in the number of accidents has been observed since 2005 [ 21 ]. However, very few studies have been performed on the subject in this region of the world, and the data available on road accidents are not always rigorous [ 22 ].…”

“…In 2015, a research project was conducted on road traffic injuries in Ouagadougou as the result of a collaboration between the Institut de recherche pour le développement of France, the Burkina Faso National Police, and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Yalgado Ouédraogo, as part of a research programme funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The purpose of the study was to test the effectiveness, acceptability and capacity of a surveillance system to assess the number of accidents and their consequences on the health of accident victims [ 21 ]. This study counted the accidents reported to the police for 6 months, identified the most accident-prone areas, estimated mortality, morbidity and disabilities resulting from road accidents, identified vulnerable road users and, finally, monitored the treatment of the injured.…”

Epidemiological Profile of Road Traffic Accidents Involving Motorized Two-wheelers in Urban Areas in Benin

“…According to this study, RTAs were more recorded between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. [13]. In Ouagadougou (Burkina-Faso), the frequency of RTAs occurring in this period is because of the density of traffic as well as travel practices favoring the main roads bypassed, even in case of congestion during peak hours [14].…”

Collaborative research and knowledge translation on road crashes in Burkina Faso: the police perspective 18 months on

“…To alleviate this situation, which is detrimental to population health, a research project on road traffic injuries was carried out in Ouagadougou in partnership with local stakeholders in 2015. Research data from the TRAUMA project have been published elsewhere [ 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]. Its main results are summarized in the following paragraphs.…”

“…The number of road crashes is steadily increasing in Africa and in Burkina Faso, and more specifically in the country’s capital, Ouagadougou [ 1 ]. Despite the recent implementation of multiple actions at the national level, road safety is a daunting public health issue [ 2 ]. Without access to rigorous and comprehensive data on crashes, injuries, and fatality risks, the ability to implement appropriate and adequate measures is limited [ 3 ].…”