He said: “Road deaths represent a huge burden on our health systems and an obstacle to our efforts to overcome poverty. It is the poorest people, working people, who are most affected by road crashes, often leaving families suddenly without a breadwinner. I call on Africa’s leaders and the world community to work together to make our roads safe”.

Desmond Tutu is the second Nobel Peace Prize winner, after Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, to support the Make Roads Safe campaign’s call for greater action on global road deaths. The Archbishop also welcomed the inaugural United Nations Global Road Safety Week, in April 2007, describing it as “a vital milestone in the global effort to raise awareness about the appalling human and economic impact of road crashes”.