Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and Road Safety: Drivers urged to be more responsible

The Director General of ANASER, Antoumane Sy, calls for respect for speed limits and advocates for the extension of the system to the regions.

With the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) approaching, children's safety on their way to school has become a major concern. Led by LASER International, the "Safe Routes to School" program aims to reduce the risk of accidents through appropriate infrastructure improvements, increased student awareness, and greater driver responsibility. Present at the launch of this initiative, the Director General of the National Road Safety Agency (ANASER), Antoumane Sy, emphasized the need to better protect pedestrians, especially children, around schools.

On the way to school, excessive speed or a lack of attention can have dramatic consequences. To prevent these risks, the pilot phase of the program focuses in particular on the El Hadji Ibrahim Bèye school in Fass and the El Hadji Malick Sy school in Medina. The initiative includes an assessment of infrastructure, the identification of dangerous areas, and the implementation of appropriate improvements, especially at pedestrian crossings and crossings. The goal is to allow students to travel to and from school in safer conditions, while also teaching them good road safety habits.

Antoumane Sy calls on motorists to be responsible

‎

For the Director General of ANASER, ensuring the safety of school journeys cannot rely solely on infrastructure. It also requires a change in road user behavior. "Pedestrians always have the right of way," he reminded everyone, deploring the attitude of some drivers who accelerate instead of yielding to pedestrians crossing the road. Antoumane Sy also emphasized the importance of respecting speed limits, set at 30 km/h near schools and 50 km/h in urban areas. Increased vigilance is necessary near schools, where children may have difficulty judging distances and anticipating traffic hazards. The head of ANASER thus stressed the importance of careful driving and adherence to safety rules in order to reduce students' exposure to accidents.

Extending the system beyond Dakar

‎

Road safety efforts should not be limited to the capital. Antoumane Sy cited a recent fatal accident in Goudiry, on National Route 1, in which a child was reportedly struck by a vehicle. This tragedy highlights the dangers faced by children in rural areas, particularly near busy roads. In this context, the Director General of ANASER advocated for extending this type of initiative to other cities, notably Thiès and Saint-Louis. Road safety education is another key component of this strategy. ANASER is working with the Directorate General of Road Transport and the Ministry of National Education on a project to strengthen the teaching of safety rules in schools.

For her part, Awa Sarr, president of LASER International, noted that the "Safe Routes to School" program , launched in 2012, has already made 22 schools safer and trained more than 150,000 children. The approach is based on risk assessment, the development of recommendations for road improvements, and teaching safe crossing behaviors. With the support of partners, including Yango, CETUD, the French Development Agency (AFD), and AGEROUTE, this new initiative aims to sustainably strengthen the protection of students . With the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games approaching, the issue extends beyond the sporting event itself. It is about making children's safety a permanent priority, so that every student can reach their school and return home without endangering their life.