Too many lives lost on Rwanda’s roads: Is the point system the answer?

Students display road safety messages during a walk organized by HPR to mark the global road safety week 2025

Despite numerous government initiatives aimed at reducing road accidents, such as the Gerayo Amahoro campaign, Rwanda continues to grapple with a worrying rise in traffic-related fatalities. The numbers speak for themselves: in just the first ten months of 2025, the country recorded 719 fatal road accidents, surpassing the 621 reported in all of 2021. This marks a 15.7% increase, according to data from the Ministry of Infrastructure, underscoring the urgent need for more effective road safety measures.

The causes of these accidents are diverse. They include behavioral factors such as reckless driving, ignoring traffic signs, drunk driving, and distracted driving, among others. Other factors may be related to road design, vehicle safety and more. Clearly, stronger interventions are required prevent the continued loss of life and livelihoods.

The point system: A solution or not?

In response to this, a draft law introducing a driver point system is currently under debate in Parliament. If passed, the system will assign every driver 10 points at the beginning of each year. Points will be deducted for serious traffic violations, such as drunk driving, speeding, using a phone while driving, or operating without a speed governor. Once a driver loses all their points, their license would be temporarily revoked.

Supporters argue that this system could be more effective than current punitive approaches. Rather than relying solely on punishment, the point system introduces an element of positive reinforcement, drivers who follow the rules are allowed to retain their driving privileges. According to behavioral psychologists like B.F. Skinner, this kind of reward-based motivation can be more effective than punishment, which often results in fear, resistance, or only short-term compliance.

However, critics caution that both punishments and rewards may only lead to temporary behavioral change. As author Alfie Kohn points out, "punishments and rewards are two sides of the same coin, and that coin doesn’t buy you much." This perspective challenges the idea that external motivators alone can bring about lasting transformation in driver behavior.

Driving lasting change through the safe system approach

While the point system may help in the short term, it might not be the silver bullet for Rwanda’s road safety problems. For long-term solution, the experts in road safety advise to address the problem on multiple fronts, including improving road infrastructure, ensuring speed management, ensuring vehicle safety and providing timely care. This is holistic strategy is known as the safe system approach.

This system recognizes that human error is inevitable. Instead of focusing solely on individual behavior, it aims to create a road environment where the consequences of human error are minimized. Specific measures in the safe system include:

·  Road design: Building roads that are inherently safe, with clear markings, adequate lighting, and safe speeds.

·  Vehicle safety: Ensuring that vehicles are equipped with safety features such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, and electronic stability control.

·  Speed management: Implementing effective speed limits and enforcement measures to prevent accidents.

·  Post-crash care: Providing timely and effective emergency medical care to reduce injuries and fatalities.

Furthermore, establishing a dedicated road safety agency focused solely to road safety issues may be more effective than having the responsibility fall under the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA, which oversees a broad range of matters.

Given the role behaviour plays in road safety, shaping it early is essential. As Healthy People Rwanda (HPR) has previously advocated, road safety education should be introduced into the national curriculum. Teaching children the principles of safe road use, responsible behavior, and emergency response from a young age is far more likely to foster a culture of safety than reactive penalties.

Global lessons: What can Rwanda learn?

The point system is not a new concept. Many countries across the world have implemented similar models. In Italy, for instance, drivers begin with 20 points, which are deducted for traffic infractions. In the United States, most states assign points to various violations, and accumulating a certain number, usually between 10 and 12, can lead to license suspension or other penalties.

However, it’s important to note that these countries also benefit from better road infrastructure, vehicle standards, and enforcement mechanisms. The point system alone is rarely the deciding factor in reducing road accidents, it works best as part of a broader, integrated approach.

The takeaway

No single measure, whether punishment, rewards, point systems, or awareness campaigns, will solve the road safety issue on its own. A holistic strategy is needed, one that combines enforcement, infrastructure, vehicle safety, awareness and more: the same system approach.

Ultimately, the goal is not just to penalize bad behavior but to instill a culture of responsibility and ensure every driver on the road understands both the rules and the value of human life. That starts in the classroom, with education that promotes safe choices and equips citizens with the knowledge to act, especially when road crashes have just happened.