As Road Safety Action International (RSAI) continues its assessment of progress toward the 12 Global Road Safety Targets under the UN Decade of Action (2021–2030), Target 8 strikes at the heart of personal protection in transport. This target aims to ensure that by 2030, the proportion of motor vehicle occupants using seatbelts or standard child restraint systems reaches nearly 100%. The intention is simple yet powerful: safety measures inside a vehicle should be the last and most reliable line of defense when a crash occurs.

Our evaluation across Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire presents a revealing picture. The good news: all four MRU countries now have some form of seatbelt legislation on the books. But laws alone are not enough. The depth of implementation, public adherence, and protection for vulnerable passengers—especially children—remains worryingly inconsistent.

In Liberia, no national seatbelt law currently exists, and there is a complete absence of legal or institutional frameworks for child restraint systems. Seatbelt wearing rates are unknown, and there are no national campaigns or targets to increase usage. Guinea shows progress with laws in place for both seatbelts and child restraints, but the system lacks essential standards and definitions—such as age thresholds or technical specifications—making enforcement challenging. Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮 also has legislation for seatbelts, though not universally applied to all occupants, and no current framework for child restraints. Meanwhile, Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 demonstrates the most structured approach, with seatbelt laws fully covering front and rear seats and national targets to increase both seatbelt and child restraint use by 2030. However, the country still lacks technical references and clear child seating requirements.

These findings highlight a troubling paradox. Seatbelts and child restraints are among the most cost-effective tools to save lives on the road—yet they remain underutilized and under-enforced in the MRU. According to WHO data, proper use of seatbelts reduces the risk of fatal injury by 45–50% for front seat passengers and 25% for those in the rear. For children, properly fitted child restraints reduce the risk of death by up to 60%.

In many West African countries, road fatalities are disproportionately borne by passengers and vulnerable road users. Without a strong emphasis on seatbelt compliance and child protection, every journey carries an unnecessary risk. The political will, public awareness, and regulatory mechanisms needed to meet Target 8 remain insufficient—despite the high cost of inaction.

RSAI urges MRU governments and partners to:

• ✅ Enact and enforce seatbelt laws that cover both front and rear seat occupants.
• ✅ Adopt national laws mandating standard child restraint systems.
• ✅ Define age and size requirements for child restraints and reference internationally recognized standards.
• ✅ Launch nationwide campaigns tied to measurable usage targets and backed by police enforcement.

Meeting Target 8 is not about high-tech solutions—it’s about political leadership, policy reform, and public engagement. With minimal investment, the MRU countries could drastically reduce crash-related fatalities for the most vulnerable: passengers and children.

Because protecting lives inside a vehicle should never be optional—it must be policy.