SELEBI-PHIKWE: A holiday prayer session held on Tuesday heard that there has been an escalation in road accidents fatalities in District No.10 from 10 cases that were recorded last year to 15 cases this year.
The prayer session was organised by the District Road Safety Committee in conjunction with the Ministers Fraternal. The prayer session was held under the theme,” It’s time to remember - Say No to road crime”.
Prayers were for healing and speedy recovery of road traffic victims. They also prayed against the spirit of accidents and against substance abuse and fatigue. A moment of silence was also observed and candle lighting conducted in remembrance of those who had fallen victim to road traffic accidents. Superintendent Semakaleng Matlhake of Botswana Police Services (BPS) said this year the number of people who lost their lives to road accidents increased from 10 last year to 15 this year.
He said police officers and Department of Road Transport and Safety disseminate information on road safety and it is still a concern that people continue to lose their lives through road accidents.
“Every year we disseminate information on road safety but we continue to record many cases of road accidents and this is a concern to us because people seem not to adhere to what we teach them,” he said.
He said most of the accidents are caused by reckless driving, failure to wear safety belts and overindulgence in alcohol and drugs.
Matlhake said from 15 fatalities recorded, nine passengers, six drivers and two pedestrians lost their respective lives.
He encouraged passengers to also take responsibility when it comes to their safety. He said that many passengers fear to tell drivers to reduce speed because they fear that drivers will leave them behind.
He warned it is dangerous to use open vehicles because they do not have safety belts hence exposing people to serious injuries when accidents occur.
Matlhake said road users only obey road signs and buckle up only when they see police officers. He said they always encourage people to buckle up as well as taking a rest whenever they feel tired.
