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Nqobile Tshili, Features Reporter
“ALTHOUGH the mere thought of killing is abhorrent to you, the country’s road death toll is evidence that thousands of drivers with feelings no different from yours are haunted by memories of traffic deaths in which they have been involved. Study this Code and reduce the risk of a similar predicament,” reads the country’s Highway Code.
The document educates aspiring drivers on how they should conduct themselves on the road as they learn driving with the hope of curbing accidents.
The Highway Code further states that overtaking is a habit and drivers need to resist it.
However, for some motorists it might seem as if the Highway Code is just an enabler for them to get driver’s licences and thereafter, they forget about its dictates.
Some motorists lack discipline on the road. They drive against traffic, drive while drunk and use cellphones as they drive.
Statistics do not lie and project a gloomy picture on the impact of road accidents on the country.
It is estimated that Zimbabwe records a road traffic accident every 15 minutes and five people die every day while 45 others get injured. Such data should worry road users.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development said 38 776 road accidents were recorded from January to September this year leading to the death of 1 559 lives while 7 851 were injured.
While the statistics are faceless, families, friends and colleagues of those who died or were injured remain with vivid memories of how road carnage has robbed them or changed their lives.
The World Health Organisation notes that about 1,3 million lives are cut short due to road accidents.
One of the victims is Ntandoyenkosi Sibanda who died after a commuter bus he was on crashed into a haulage truck claiming seven lives in Bulawayo at the robot-controlled intersection between Masiyepambili Drive and Khami Road.
Sibanda, who was self-employed left behind a nine-year old child who he was independently raising, casting a gloomy picture on the future of the child.
The road accidents are not just impacting members of the public but the economy as well as the health care.
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) contends that the country could save at least three percent of the Gross Domestic Product were it not for the road accidents.
TSCZ media and corporate communications officer Ms Lucy Kuwandira said road accidents have an economic cost hence concerted efforts are needed to address them.
“There is a need for a holistic approach where everyone works together in avoiding road crashes. We say road safety is everyone’s responsibility, let us all work together in promoting road safety,” said Ms Kuwandira.
“It is important for all road users to understand that they have a duty to protect our economy by avoiding road traffic accidents. Road safety reduces deaths, injury and property damage and with effective road safety strategies and management, the country can save up to US$406 million yearly which is 3 percent of the GDP.”
She said human error is the major cause of most road accidents. This manifests through drinking and driving, disregarding traffic laws, speeding, overloading and being distracted on the road.
She said even pedestrians are expected to be alert on the roads.
“For pedestrians, there are rules and regulations that govern them that ensure their safety on the roads. When walking along the road pedestrians should walk facing oncoming traffic, at night they should wear reflective clothing or bright colors, the idea is to see and be seen,” she said, adding that passengers must avoid distracting drivers.
Ms Kuwandira said passengers and drivers should always wear seat belts while parents and guardians should not sit with young children in the front car seat.
“As TSCZ, we would like to encourage parents to avoid putting children below the age of 10 in the front seat and refrain them from putting part of their bodies outside the window. It is the duty of a parent to protect their children from harm, let us work together in promoting road safety,” said Ms Kuwandira.
Civil Protection Unit (CPU) director Mr Nathan Nkomo said the rehabilitated roads have become a curse of sorts as they tend to encourage speeding, contributing to vehicle crashes.
“Government is trying its level best to ensure that the roads are in good shape. But of late you might also notice that the good roads that we are constructing are like a curse, once the roads are good people start speeding. Some of them do so while sober and others drunk,” said Mr Nkomo.
He said the road accidents have a strain even in the country’s health delivery system.
Mr Nkomo said even hospitals approach the CPU hoping that it will foot bills for those involved in accidents.
“Of concern looking at the claims being sent to us by Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals there are a lot of hit and run accidents. I didn’t know until I saw the claims by Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals thinking that we might meet the cost. Remember road accident crashes are a health issue,” said Mr Nkomo.
He said the Ministry of Health and Child Care should be capacitated so that it can quickly attend to road accidents victims.
He said the country should speed up the process of launching the Road Accident Fund which will result in payouts for those involved in traffic carnage.
“We are lagging behind in terms of the Road Accident Fund that makes life for the victims easier once they are sent to hospital. Meeting of hospital bills remains a challenge both for the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the victims themselves,” he said.
In countries such as South Africa, the Road Accident Fund pays for medical bills of victims of road accidents.
Mr Nkomo said road traffic accidents are a strain to the national fiscus and to reduce their financial impact on the country there is a need to reduce road carnage.
He said drunken driving and general negligence on the road were major concerns.
He said as the country heads toward the festive season where there will be increased travelling, institutions such as the TSCZ will carry out awareness campaigns.
“I hope the carnage we are currently experiencing on our roads will be reduced during the festive season. But the influence of alcohol remains a challenge. The issue of speeding remains a challenge. There is also congestion on our roads and during the peak hour you will find some motorists creating imaginary lanes,” said Mr Nkomo.
“It is the creation of those imaginary lanes which normally create some of the problems that we are talking about. An imaginary lane is not a lane of the road and when they see danger they tend to return to the road, causing accidents.”
Health experts have said road accidents are also a strain to hospitals.
Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director Dr Maphios Siamuchembu said it would be better to prevent road accidents as opposed to dealing with their consequences in health institutions.
“Hospitals are not adequately equipped to deal with the impact of road accidents. We rather have people preventing the occurrence of road accidents. We don’t have nurses that are adequately trained in dealing with trauma which will be needed in that golden hour. Secondly, we don’t even have enough sundries and consumables and equipment to handle some of the patients who might be coming to hospitals as a result of road accidents,” said Dr Siamuchembu.
He said it was important for drivers to follow the rules of the road while police also arrest those found with unroadworthy vehicles.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said disregard of the rules of the road was a major concern which is causing a lot of avoidable accidents.
He said accidents are occurring at traffic light-controlled intersections among other sections of the roads.
“There is a need for a change of attitudes among drivers on our roads. We are recording accidents that are avoidable. Recently, we lost four people who died after they were involved in a crash after the driver of the vehicle they were travelling in attempted to drive through a red robot. Some vehicles are unroadworthy such as driving a vehicle without lights at night,” he said.
Asst Comm Nyathi said while police can make arrests, the responsibility is upon every road user to be responsible on the roads. —@nqotshili
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