Reckless driving culture fuels Botswana’s road safety crisis
Pini Bothoko | Monday May 11, 2026 06:00
Despite continuous efforts by authorities to improve road safety, dangerous driving habits remain widespread, turning roads into deadly spaces and contributing to the increasing number of fatal accidents recorded across the country.
What remains particularly worrisome is that many motorists continue engaging in risky behaviour despite fully understanding the dangers involved and their implications. In some cases, even public transport operators, entrusted with passengers' lives, have been involved in reckless driving incidents.
As such, lives continue to be lost on Botswana’s roads almost daily, particularly during month-end weekends when traffic volumes increase. The situation leaves families shattered, communities devastated, and the country’s economy negatively affected.
Speaking on the matter, Traffic Director Senior Assistant Commissioner Pilane Sibigi said most road accidents could be avoided if motorists changed their attitudes and behaviour while driving.
He noted that while fatal accidents were previously concentrated along major roads such as the A1, A2, and A3 highways, police have recently recorded an increasing number of deaths occurring in isolated areas, including farms, residential yards, cities, towns, and villages. He said they have established that a majority of young drivers have a habit of excessive speeding, which poses a risk to other people’s lives.
“Some drivers (over)speed because it’s a habit, while others speed, claiming it’s because they fall behind in their daily schedules. In other instances, they would claim they were in a rush. Traffic reduces at night, hence drivers have an advantage to speed unnecessarily despite being expected to drive at a maximum speed of 60km/h,” he said.
He said that as a result, every morning, traffic lights, screen walls, and electric poles would have been hit and damaged. He further raised concern over the increasing number of home crashes, where motorists accidentally run over children within residential yards.
“When you have children in your yard, it is normal that when you get inside the car, they may suddenly run behind the vehicle or play around it. This is why drivers must always check their surroundings carefully before reversing. We have in the past recorded accidents in which parents killed their children inside their homesteads after failing to observe before driving,” Sibigi explained.
Meanwhile, he added that unnecessary competition among motorists is another major contributor to road collisions. Sibigi pleaded with drivers to remain patient on the road and avoid competing with speeding motorists.
“If another driver is in a rush or speeding, avoid competing with that driver and simply allow them to pass because some accidents are caused by competing with such drivers. Some accidents are avoidable if motorists exercise caution and patience,” he said.
He said severe accidents tend to occur involving men more than women because male motorists are more likely to engage in risky driving when compared to their female counterparts.
“Road deaths mostly affect men, and it is not like there are many male drivers. We have observed that, unlike women, they do not pay attention to road signs and are more likely to engage in risky driving practices, including not using seat belts, drink and driving, and speeding,” he said.
This past weekend, our sister paper, The Monitor, carried articles in which eight lives were lost on the road, with so many other people left with serious and life-threatening injuries.
Sibigi also highlighted that a significant number of accidents occur at night, particularly involving collisions with livestock such as cattle and donkeys. He explained that night driving requires greater patience and alertness, yet many motorists continue driving while fatigued, placing themselves and others at risk.
Although he admitted that most roads in Botswana are currently in poor condition and riddled with potholes, Sibigi stressed that many accidents can still be prevented through responsible driving.
“Driving at a reduced speed, paying attention, and obeying road signs can help avoid many accidents,” he said. He further stated that while some fatalities may result from poor road conditions, the majority continue to occur because of motorists’ attitudes and failure to comply with traffic regulations.
“Speed limits are not obeyed, and road signs continue to be ignored. Some accidents could easily be avoided if road users exercised patience and paid more attention to road traffic signs and regulations,” Sibigi added.
Sibigi stated that police continue conducting road safety awareness campaigns across the country, but emphasised that real change can only happen when motorists themselves take responsibility for their actions. Reducing the growing road carnage, he said, will require a comprehensive approach involving improved road infrastructure, stricter law enforcement, and a significant shift in driver behaviour and mindset, especially among motorists frequently involved in high-risk incidents.