Road safety · Uganda Police Force data via UBOS
One person dies on Uganda’s roads every 109 minutes
4,806 people were killed on Uganda’s roads in 2023: about 13 every day, or one every 109 minutes. Road deaths rose 24% between 2019 and 2023.
Killed on the roads, 2023
4,806
about 13 a day
Seriously injured
16,736
2023
Crashes reported
23,608
4,179 of them fatal
Motorcyclists
32%
of everyone killed or injured
Motorcyclists were 32% of everyone killed or injured on the roads in 2023 (7,995 people).
People killed on the roads
Deaths reported to the police each year
| Year | Killed |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 4,806 |
| 2022 | 4,534 |
| 2021 | 4,159 |
| 2020 | 3,663 |
| 2019 | 3,880 |
Killed and injured
People, by outcome
- Seriously injured
- Killed
- Slightly injured
| Year | Seriously injured | Killed | Slightly injured |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 16,736 | 4,806 | 3,186 |
| 2022 | 15,227 | 4,534 | 1,712 |
| 2021 | 12,589 | 4,159 | 1,287 |
| 2020 | 8,370 | 3,663 | 979 |
| 2019 | 9,635 | 3,880 | 1,175 |
Who gets hurt?
Everyone killed or injured, by how they were travelling. Passengers include people riding on the back of a boda boda.
Killed or injured, 2023
People, by road user type
| Killed or injured | |
|---|---|
| Passengers | 8,518 |
| Motorcyclists | 7,995 |
| Pedestrians | 5,281 |
| Drivers | 1,684 |
| Pedal cyclists | 684 |
| Others | 566 |
The three biggest groups over time
Killed or injured each year
- Motorcyclists
- Passengers
- Pedestrians
| Year | Motorcyclists | Passengers | Pedestrians |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7,995 | 8,518 | 5,281 |
| 2022 | 6,878 | 7,620 | 4,631 |
| 2021 | 6,046 | 5,917 | 3,914 |
| 2020 | 4,268 | 4,251 | 2,883 |
| 2019 | 3,796 | 5,927 | 3,530 |
Vehicles involved in crashes, 2023
Number of crashes each vehicle type was involved in
| Crashes involved in | |
|---|---|
| Motorcycles | 13,386 |
| Motor cars | 10,398 |
| Light Omnibus | 2,663 |
| Light goods vehicles | 2,043 |
| Medium goods vehicles | 1,804 |
| Dual-purpose vehicles | 1,316 |
| Heavy goods vehicles | 1,112 |
| Trailers & Semi-Trailers | 1,111 |
| Pedal cycles | 554 |
| Heavy Omnibus | 371 |
When crashes happen, 2023
Crashes by time of day
| Crashes | |
|---|---|
| 12am–2am | 823 |
| 2am–4am | 909 |
| 4am–6am | 988 |
| 6am–8am | 1,574 |
| 8am–10am | 1,963 |
| 10am–12pm | 2,175 |
| 12pm–2pm | 2,291 |
| 2pm–4pm | 2,470 |
| 4pm–6pm | 3,078 |
| 6pm–8pm | 3,681 |
| 8pm–10pm | 2,238 |
| 10pm–12am | 1,418 |
How deadly is a crash? By police region, 2023
% of reported crashes in which someone was killed (regions with 200+ crashes)
| Fatal share of crashes | |
|---|---|
| Albertine | 38% |
| Wamala | 35% |
| Busoga North | 35% |
| Aswa East | 30% |
| Rwenzori West | 30% |
| Greater Masaka | 29% |
| Bukedi North | 29% |
| Katonga | 27% |
| Busoga East | 26% |
| Kigezi | 26% |
| North Kyoga | 25% |
| East Kyoga | 25% |
| Greater Bushenyi | 24% |
| Rwizi | 24% |
| Savannah | 23% |
| Rwenzori East | 22% |
| Sipi | 19% |
| Aswa West | 16% |
| Kiira | 16% |
| Sezibwa | 16% |
| West Nile | 15% |
| North West Nile | 14% |
| Bukedi South | 14% |
| Elgon | 14% |
| Kampala Metropolitan South | 11% |
| Kampala Metropolitan North | 10% |
| Kampala Metropolitan East | 8% |
Accident Severity Index
Deaths per 100 casualties (lower is better)
| Year | Severity index |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 19.4 |
| 2022 | 21.1 |
| 2021 | 23.1 |
| 2020 | 28.2 |
| 2019 | 26.4 |
Reading this page
- Figures are crashes and casualties reported to the Uganda Police Force; unreported crashes are not counted.
- “Victims by road user type” counts everyone killed or injured, not deaths only.
- Deaths are rising, but serious injuries are rising faster, so the severity index (deaths per 100 casualties) fell from 26.4 to 19.4.
- Crash data is organised by police region, which does not match districts.
- Reported road traffic crashes by outcome of crash, 2019– 2023
- Number of Road Traffic Casualties by Outcome of Crash, Accident Severity Index and Years
- Number of Road Accidents by Type of Vehicles and Year, 2019 - 2023
- Number of Crashes by Time of Occurrence, 2023
- Number of Accident Victims by Road User Type, 2019 – 202
- Accident distribution by region in 2023