Nineteen walkers killed on the road

Pini Bothoko | Tuesday September 12, 2017 16:49

 

In an interview with Mmegi, No. 13 District Traffic Officer, Superintendent Boiki Mojalemotho called on pedestrians to be cautious when crossing or walking on the side of the road.

This followed a fatal accident that claimed the live of a pedestrian on Sunday evening near Molapo Crossing mall. Mojalemotho said the number of pedestrians killed on the road has climbed to 19 deaths from January to date this year in his policing area.

 “Pedestrians crash accidents is a source of concern. The same period last year, 18 pedestrians lost their lives on the road and so far we have already surpassed that number having lost 19 this time around. This shows that pedestrians do not conduct themselves with due care on the road,” Mojalemotho said.

He advised pedestrians to pay attention to what is happening around them when walking on the side of the road and to avoid being distracted whilst walking. “On Sunday evening, a man aged 31 lost his life on the spot after he was hit by a vehicle when trying to cross the road from Molapo Crossing mall to Phase 2 location in Gaborone. The accident occurred around seven in the evening,” Mojalemotho said.

He said that the man was certified dead on arrival at Julia Molefe clinic. He stated that the most common factors in pedestrian deaths were careless crossing of roads by pedestrians ignoring the traffic volume and speed.

“Pedestrians, just like motorists have the right to use the road and despite having that right, they should make sure that they exercise caution at all times.

I also call on motorists to adjust their driving accordingly, especially on urban roads with too much traffic and many people that can cross the road at anytime,” Mojalemotho said.

He concluded that they have observed excessive speed on the road, pleading with drivers to obey the road sings and to drive with at reasonable speed and being careful of pedestrians.