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Pamela Shumba Chronicle Reporter
THE death toll on the country’s roads has risen to 64, with a total of 738 accidents having been recorded so far, national police spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said yesterday.
In an interview, Chief Supt Nyathi said a total of 311 people had been injured in the recorded accidents since police started compiling statistics of festive season road accidents on December 15.
He said during the same period last year 123 people were killed while 599 others were injured in 793 accidents.
“As at 9am today, a total of 738 accidents had been recorded compared to 793 in 2012,” he said.
“A total of 64 people have been killed so far in the road accidents, compared to 123 last year. We have also recorded a total of 311 people that have been injured, compared to 599 last year. As we continue to try and curb carnage on our roads, we have impounded 997 vehicles for various defects countrywide. A total of 67 821 tickets have also been issued to motorists for various offences.”
Chief Supt Nyathi said Masvingo province has the highest number of deaths so far at 15, followed by Manicaland at nine and Mashonaland East and Central with seven each. Harare and Matabeleland South have so far recorded six deaths each, while Mashonaland West and Matabeleland North have recorded five deaths each. In Midlands, two people have died while Bulawayo had recorded one death.
Chief Supt Nyathi said the major causes of accidents were speeding, overtaking errors, misjudgment, lack of concentration and failing to give way among others.
He urged motorists, especially public transport crews to abide by the traffic rules and regulations and exercise extreme caution on the roads.
“The holiday is still on and I would like to encourage motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads. Motorists must always respect other drivers on the roads, avoid speeding, drinking and driving. They should only overtake when it is safe to do so,” said Chief Supt Nyathi.
He warned public transport crews not to overload their vehicles, saying they must put the safety of the people first.
Last week, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri said motorists and public transport operators who break traffic rules and regulations would be severely punished.
Speaking at a pass out parade for 507 recruits at Morris Depot in Harare, he said it was worrisome that the country continued to lose lives to road carnage.
Gweru provincial magistrate Pathekile Msipa last week said public transport drivers had become a menace on the roads and should be sent to jail when involved in accidents.
Msipa said this while jailing two kombi drivers and a bus driver to a combined seven years in prison after the trio were found guilty of culpable homicide when they appeared separately before her.
She said offenders should be given deterrent sentences so as to send a clear message to other public transport drivers.
Online Reporter