Road traffic accidents on the rise
Pini Bothoko | Monday January 15, 2024 06:00
The overall road safety situation depicts an increase in the total number of road traffic accidents recorded countrywide, from 440 in 2022-2023 to 687 in the 2023-2024 festive season.
Driving along the major hot spots highways in Botswana, namely the A1 road, A3 road, and A2 to mention but a few is a nightmare given the level of recklessness on these roads especially during holidays. Road deaths have been the country’s nightmare for years and these past holidays more lives were lost on the road.
This was a clear demonstration that indeed traffic deaths have resurfaced. Drivers’ attitudes and behaviours have been identified as the main cause of road fatalities. Police statistics indicate that 523 drivers were charged with drunken driving as compared to 450 who were charged in the same period the previous year. A total of 4,994 drivers were charged with speeding as compared to 3,230 charged during the same period in 2022 whilst 562 drivers were charged with careless driving as compared to 440 during the previous festive season.
Moreover, 2,427 drivers were charged with driving without a driver’s licence as compared to 2,159 charged in the previous festive season. On the other hand, 2,569 drivers were charged with failure to wear seat belts as compared to 2,027 in the previous holidays whilst 580 drivers were charged for using a hand held mobile phone whilst driving as compared to 503 last festive season holidays.
For other traffic offences, police recorded 11,123 cases as compared to 8,190 recorded in the past festive season. Botswana Police Service’s (BPS) Deputy Public Relations Officer, Senior Superintendent Near Bagali revealed to Mmegi that motorists’ attitudes towards key road safety issues such as overspeeding, drugs and intoxication, drunken driving, and overtaking risks, remain a major road safety concern.
He stated that the rising number of road accidents in Botswana remains the country’s biggest challenge since precious lives are lost in the process. Bagali said some accidents could easily be avoided if road users exercise patience and pay more attention to traffic signs and regulations.
“Behaviours that drivers continue to display predispose them to road accidents and casualty rates. Motorists’ attitudes toward key road safety issues such as overspeeding, drunken driving and overtaking risks remain a major road safety concern. I am pleading with drivers to exercise patience on the road and avoid drunken driving,” he said.
Bagali further stated that during the year, especially during weekends, a sizeable number of people die in road accidents which could have been avoided if people could have exercised caution on the road. He said the majority of accidents occur during month-end weekends, after midnight and early morning between 2am and 4am when drivers are intoxicated.
“Along most highways which are our hot spot, a lot of accidents occurred due to over speeding, drunken driving and over taking recklessly without due care.
In most cases accidents occurred because the driver had lost control of the car whilst some occurred because of risk overtaking resulting in head-on collisions that claimed more lives. We had an accident in which five lives were lost in an accident that occurred at Masunga, three at Molepolole and Maun and in five days we had already lost 15 people before New Year’s Eve,” Bagali said.
He further stated that despite interventions like mounting roadblocks and highway patrols some drivers continue to speed which risks innocent people’s lives. He said many motorists are impatient with other road users hence the rise in pedestrian deaths. Bagali pleaded with drivers to show regard for pedestrians.
“It appears the majority of drivers are always in a hurry, forgetting that they share the road with pedestrians, showing no respect to them.
Accidents involving pedestrians remain a concern because they continue to lose their lives at the hands of impatient drivers and some pedestrians are left with permanent injuries that lead to disabilities. However, we will not despair, we will intensify public education to sensitise both motorists and members of the public on road safety,” he said.
Bagali said they do sensitise motorists on road safety during road campaigns, but it is important that people change their behaviour on roads. He said in the process parents and breadwinners are lost.
He called for sober driving, pointing out that alcohol affects drivers in many aspects including their attitude, judgement, vigilance and reaction time.
Bagali said with the help of Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA), Department of Road Transport and Safety, they will continue to sensitise motorists and the public on road safety to curb escalating road deaths.
“Road deaths have been the country’s nightmare for years and it concerns us that despite our efforts people are reluctant to change,” Bagali said.
Travelling on local roads has now become a nightmare as the country continues to record more deaths from fatal accidents. Moments of happiness turn tragic instantly due to road accidents, Mmegi Staff Writer, PINI BOTHOKO observes