Every week, the country’s busiest road records serious accidents that leave families mourning the loss of their loved ones. The crashes that are normally as a result of overspeeding, dangerous overtaking, collisions with stray livestock, poor visibility at night and sections with sharp curves continue to make the road one of Botswana's deadliest transport corridors.
The highways which connects north and the south has bad and friendly spots, with Lechana, a small settlement a few kilometres north of Palapye, one of the worst. Time and again, the hamlet becomes the scene of horrific fatal road accidents. Whether the danger is caused by the concentration of livestock from nearby cattleposts, the winding curves, or a combination of both, Lechana has become synonymous with tragedy. Motorists travelling through the area often encounter cattle and donkeys wandering onto the road, particularly at night when visibility is poor. In many cases, drivers either hit the animals before losing control of their vehicles or attempt to avoid them, only to veer off the road or overturn. The sharp bends in the area further increase the risk of fatal crashes. Last Sunday’s bus accident was another stark reminder of how A1 is deadly especially the Lechana area. The latest tragedy unfolded when an evening northbound public transport vehicle travelling from Gaborone with 45 passengers hit a cow near Lechana before overturning. Police report has since revealed that the impact caused the driver to lose control of the bus. Nine people lost their lives in the crash, while dozens of other passengers sustained injuries of varying severity. The accident once again reignited public concern over safety along the A1 highway.
