As Botswana prepares for the long President’s Day weekend, a familiar, grim warning echoes from the police: excitement too often turns to tragedy on our roads.
Senior Assistant Commissioner Pilane Sibigi’s urgent plea, reported elsewhere in this edition, lays bare the heartbreaking pattern where holidays meant for joy and family union become marred by avoidable deaths and injuries.
Holiday buzz, as Sibigi explains, can make drivers impatient and reckless. The urge to get there fast leads to dangerous overtaking and ignoring vital road signs. Spontaneous, unplanned long journeys result in fatigue, clouding judgement when clear thinking is needed the most.
And then there is the persistent, deadly scourge: drinking and driving. The statistics by the Police is chilling, with 235 accidents last year, 189 the year before, claiming lives and leaving others with permanent scars. The fact that many fatal crashes happen at night, often involving young drivers mixing alcohol and driving, is a particular alarm bell.
Speeding, especially in lower-limit zones, remains a leading killer. The desire to race, overtake unnecessarily, turns vehicles into weapons.
To motorists, please, slow down. Plan your journey properly, allowing ample time. Rest before driving long distances. Overtake only when it’s completely safe. Respect every speed limit and road sign. Most critically: Do not drink and drive. If you plan to drink, arrange a sober driver, a taxi, or stay put. Your ‘quick drive’ home intoxicated could be your last, or someone else’s.
Pedestrians should be extra vigilant. Remember drivers may be tired, distracted, or impaired. Use crossings properly, make yourself visible, especially at night, and never assume a driver has seen you. Avoid walking near roads if you have been drinking.
Passengers should also speak up! Don’t be afraid to tell the driver to slow down or to refuse a lift from someone who has been drinking.
Your safety matters. Families and communities should look out for each other. Encourage safe travel plans. Offer alternatives to friends or family members who might consider driving after drinking.
The police will be out in force, conducting stop-and-searches, breath tests, and vehicle checks. But enforcement alone cannot stop this. It requires a conscious, collective decision from every single one of us using the roads.
This weekend, let’s prioritise life over haste, responsibility over recklessness, and care for others over a fleeting thrill. The excitement of the holiday should end with happy memories, not funerals or hospital visits. Heed the police plea. Drive sober. Drive carefully. Walk wisely. Let’s all make a determined effort to ensure this President’s Day weekend is remembered for celebration, not carnage. Get home safely.
