Global Youth Coalition Member Feature: Mary Abungu

1. Where are you connected right now? Tell us about the work you're doing.

At the moment, I am working as a Transportation Engineer at TIMCON Associates, an engineering firm in Canada but based in the Kenyan office. Our work includes transportation modeling and planning, traffic operations analysis and management, congestion management, and road safety assessments and audits.

2. How did you first get involved in road safety and how long have you been working in the road safety and sustainable mobility field? 
For the longest time, I have always had a passion for sustainable mobility. That has always projected my career toward road safety. It has been about two years since I started working on road safety. My interest peaked the moment I read an article by the World Health Organisation (WHO) where they did a comparison of annual road accident deaths and COVID-19 deaths.

The situation was dire. It showed how important and urgent it was and is, to administer similar efforts made to address the COVID-19 pandemic and take the same action in curbing road accident fatalities.

3. Can you tell us a little bit about the road safety and sustainable mobility situation in your area? 
Road accidents are listed as the third leading causes of death in Kenya. Over the years, Kenya has passed a number of road safety legislations and implementation has been moderately improving but the annual road accident fatality rate is still significantly high. In June 2022, Kenya recorded a 9.3% increase in road accident deaths compared to the previous year. A huge proportion of the deaths consist of the vulnerable road users and the young people.

As a country, stepping up actions on road safety is vital. There is more that must be done especially in the implementing the policies and strategies put in place. Involving those affected the most, the youth, in these programs is also important.

4. Why do you think it's important to include young people in local and global road safety efforts? 
Road accidents are the leading cause of death among young people. Despite this, most of them are not even aware of this reality. In most countries, youth are economically active and are the earning group that provides for their families. Losing them to road accidents creates a burden on the county’s economic growth and health care systems. Their high death rates can be massively reduced by involving them in road safety awareness, decision making, and implementation strategies. Their concerns, opinions, and ideas should be acknowledged and highly regarded as they are the future of their countries.

5. Why did you join the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety? 
I joined the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety in support of the second United Nations’ Global Decade of Action that seeks to reduce road fatalities and injuries by 50% between 2021 and 2030. I wanted to be part of the Youth Coalition since it is youth-driven and provides a significant platform where youth can participate by discussing issues, exchanging ideas, and fronting world leaders to make impactful decisions on curbing the accident fatality rates.

6. What are your comments on the Youth Coalition? Its activities? Its opportunities? 
I appreciate how the Youth Coalition has several platforms for the youth to get involved; It has a wealth of knowledge through the YOURS Academy, it hosts several webinars where youth can engage directly with world leaders and decision-makers, and it runs active and notable road safety campaigns and competitions. All in all, it’s a space where youth can make a change.

7. Any messages for people who have not yet joined the Youth Coalition? 
I would encourage them to join the Youth Coalition as it is a universal family of peers. They would gain access to and understand global issues affecting sustainable mobility. They would be part of a team exchanging ideas and expressing creativity and innovation that is impactful, lively, and educative. As young people, they would be claiming their space.