adminPeter Matambanadzo Senior Reporter
President Mugabe yesterday warned drivers to exercise maximum caution on the roads during the Heroes and Defence Forces holidays as it emerged yesterday that at least 25 people had so far died in vehicle accidents since last week.
Police yesterday said apart from the 25 dead, 69 others had been injured in 124 road accidents since they started recording accidents for the Heroes and Defence Forces holidays.
“I urge all road users, all road users and all drivers, all drivers to always exercise maximum caution,” President Mugabe said while addressing thousands of people at the Heroes Day celebrations at the National Heroes Acre.
Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi attributed the accidents to speeding, overtaking errors, unlicensed drivers, negligent pedestrians and an increase in the volume of vehicular traffic. He said police had issued 8 287 tickets to motorists for various traffic offences since last week.
Chief Supt Nyathi said during the same period last year, 26 people had died, while 131 others were injured in 132 accidents.
Police attributed the slight accident decline for the same period this year to the vigorous awareness campaigns they carried out with their partners such as the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe. “We would like to urge motorists to continue exercising caution and observing traffic rules and regulations to reduce the carnage on our roads,” he said.
This year’s Heroes and Defence Forces holidays started on a sad note with at least 31 people having died in two major road accidents, 13 of them perishing on Monday last week.
The accident occurred along the Harare-Nyamapanda Road.
The accident, involving a Zupco bus travelling from Malawi to Harare and a Nyamapanda-bound haulage truck, came after 18 passengers had died in an accident involving a South Africa-registered truck and a commuter omnibus along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.
Online Reporter