Let’s exercise caution to reduce road carnage

the country. As we do so, we urge drivers and pedestrians to observe the rules of the road and try by all means to respect each other to ensure safe arrival to destinations.
It is sad that the festive season has become synonymous with road accidents owing largely to negligent drivers, especially their lack of respect for other road users.
Already 32 people have been killed while 247 others have been injured in 509 road accidents since the festive season started on Thursday last week. Harare is reported to have had the highest number of accidents with 202 most of them caused by commuter-omnibus drivers. One wonders what will be the death toll by the end of the festive season.
Usually 95 percent of road accidents are blamed on human error and as such can be avoided. We have noted from the past that most crashes are preceded by road traffic violations and these include speeding, crossing flooded rivers and drunken driving, inconsiderate driving, overloading and poor vehicle visibility; defective front and rear lamps.
Traffic accidents are one of the biggest causes of death in Zimbabwe and we therefore urge the Traffic Safety Council and the Road Traffic Police to devise strategies to curtail carnage on the roads.
Drivers should at all times adhere to recommended speed limits, as visibility is also a problem during this time of the year and should look out for stray animals and pedestrians. One of the major principal sins of road safety is drinking and driving which continues to claim lives more than anything else on the roads. No one knows how much they can drink and be safe on the road, any amount of alcohol can affect driving and drivers should not risk killing innocent people.
Motorists should not become a statistic or cause others to become as such this festive season. Where bridges are flooded, drivers should not take the risk of crossing without checking the water level and current of the flowing water.
Buses and motor cars have in the past been swept away as they attempt crossing flooded bridges, killing passengers. This can be avoided by simply waiting for the water level to subside and then cross a bridge that is visible. Before embarking on a journey, motorists and bus drivers should ensure that they get enough sleep.
This will ensure that you are not easily fatigued or fall prey to highway hypnosis. If you are stressed or ill, avoid driving long distances. You also need to plan your journey and the route you will take to avoid the temptation to speed or attempting to take shortcuts.
Most importantly, ensure that your vehicle is fit for the road by checking tyres for damage or any abnormal wear. The tyre treads must pass the matchstick test. That is the depth of the tread should not be less than the head of a matchstick, if it is less change the tyres.
And one of the things that we ignore at our own peril is the seat belt, always buckle up before starting your car and ensure that your passengers buckle up too. It is therefore the duty of every driver, and motorist to drive to arrive this festive season.
It is also fitting that Christmas comes a few days after Unity Day – a day set aside to commemorate the Unity Accord signed between Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu on December 22, 1987, which has come to symbolise the unity of Zimbabweans. There is no doubt that Zimbabwe is facing hard times because of the illegal economic sanctions which are causing a lot of pain to ordinary people.
As families and friends meet they must for a moment, shelve the problems they might have faced in order to make the festive season the success it might turn out to be. While not everyone enjoys the festive season for one reason or another, generally, this is the time to get together and be merry.
December is a good time for a break and a party, with new crops on the ground, the first fresh vegetables for plucking and the livestock fattened on the grass of the early rains.
Even the worst employers are usually forced to let staff go home to their families for Christmas. Independent Zimbabwe has seen the retention of both strands of tradition although nowadays a family gathering is just as likely to take place in town as on a farm. Most people this year will be looking for modest feast on the day and always have.
Yet for many families Christmas will be a tragedy – someone will die, someone will kill – too many – drink; the combination is lethal and they kill and die; as if going home was a military mission, not the beginning of a family journey.
The days when cities emptied and everyone went home for the festive season are now over for many families. We feel it is better to stay at home than travel long distances during the festive season.For those who want to travel we say: let’s travel, let’s drive only where we feel it is necessary. Otherwise, let’s stay and celebrate at home.