Rising Road Deaths Worry Police
Pini Bothoko | Monday May 31, 2021 17:07
On a year to date basis, from January to May 2021, 20 people have already lost their lives from road accidents in the Central District alone.
The No. 2 District officer commanding, senior superintendent Paul Oketsang said their statistics show an increase in the number of accidents and deaths compared to the corresponding period. This is a development he described as worrisome. He said last year during the same period the district had recorded eight deaths from five road accidents.
“Last year during the same period we had recorded 298 total accidents in which 17 people sustained very serious injuries, 25 with serious injuries and 49 had sustained minor injuries,” he said. “Amongst that number, 97 people had sustained scratches.”
Oketsang added that this year they have already recorded a total of 365 accidents of which 13 were fatal in which 20 people lost their lives. Moreover, he said, 27 people had sustained very serious injuries, whilst 38 sustained serious injuries and 69 minor injuries. He said out of that number, 118 people had escaped with scratches.
The district chief attributed most of the accidents to speeding and drivers failing to observe road signs.
He said on Thursday along the Tshimoyapula village road, a Toyota Padro that had four people on board was involved in a car accident that claimed two lives. The deceased are a 20-year-old and a 42-year-old, who were both male passengers. Oketsang stated that the driver of the Toyota Padro, which was pulling a trailer, lost control of the car. The vehicle then overturned near Unik Construction campsite along Tshimoyapula village road. “The driver of the car together with the other surviving passenger sustained serious injuries,” Oketsang said.
He revealed that the accident occurred while they were still investigating another one that had claimed four lives by the Serule Flyover Bridge.
He said the collision accident had involved a Honda Fit and an Audi A4, claiming the lives of the people who were on board.
Oketsang said through their investigations they established that the driver of the Honda Fit was trying to overtake right in the middle of the flyover and collided with the Audi A4.
“Amongst the deceased were a 60-year-old woman, a 32-year-old man, and a 24-year-old man. We could not establish the age of another male passenger, but he was middle-aged.”
He said in yet another recent accident, a 59-year-old man who was the driver of a Madza Excella lost his life after colliding with a Toyota Avensis that was driven by a 69-year-old man along the Martin’s Drift road.
Oketsang called on motorists to drive at recommended speed limits and observe road signs at all times. He said motorists’ attitudes are the key road safety issue such as over-speeding, drinking and driving, and risky overtaking, which remains a major road safety concern.
“Most of the road accidents are due to bad attitude by motorists. We could sensitise motorists about road safety on road campaigns, but people must change their behaviour on the roads,” Oketsang said. “Behaviours that drivers continue to display increase their exposure to road accidents and casualty rate.”