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The Herald, 2 August, 1981
SEVEN PEOPLE died and 15 were seriously injured yesterday evening when three buses and a truck were involved in two linked accidents on the Bulawayo road about 25 km from Salisbury. The road was blocked to all traffic for about an hour and a fleet of seven ambulances took the dead and injured to hospital.
One of the buses lay on its side across the road trapping at least one body underneath it. The route was opened to small cars at about 8pm – about an hour after the first collision.
After a collision between this bus and a truck, a second fully-laden bus struck a mini-bus which stopped at the scene.
A man believed to have been standing in front of the smaller bus to direct traffic was crushed.
A police spokesman said last night that none of the dead had been identified and next of kin would be informed before their names were released.
Traffic was blocked up for several hundred metres on either side of the scene.
At one stage several men tried to push the overturned bus on to its wheels when they realised there was a body trapped beneath it.
Meanwhile, four students from Gwelo teachers training college were treated at Mpilo hospital yesterday after their vehicle overturned near Ntabazinduna about 35 km from Bulawayo.
The incident occurred when the students were returning to Gwelo on completion of their sponsored walk to Bulawayo. The vehicle, a Landcruiser owned by the Gwelo Red Cross, was carrying 13 students. It was one of two vehicles transporting the students to Gwelo. The accident was thought to be caused by a burst tyre.
A hospital spokesman said all the students were discharged. A police spokesman at Mbembesi said the students were scheduled to return by train.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- Fatal accidents are among the cause of death on Zimbabwe’s roads. Thousands of people have lost their lives and some have been maimed for in the past four decades after independence.
- Several factors contribute to the high rate of traffic accidents. Exceeding speed limits is a prevalent cause of traffic accidents. Driving too fast reduces reaction time and makes it difficult to avoid collisions, especially in challenging road or weather conditions.
- Distractions such as mobile phone use and eating or drinking while driving pose significant risks to road safety. Texting while driving, in particular, has been shown to increase the likelihood of crashes due to impaired reaction times.
- Behaviours like abrupt lane changes and tailgating contribute to accidents on our roads. Considerate behaviour towards other road users is essential for preventing collisions.
- Driving while fatigued is dangerous and contributes to a significant number of accidents. Recognising signs of tiredness and avoiding driving when exhausted is crucial for road safety.
- The most tragic consequence of traffic accidents is the loss of lives. With an average of five people dying every day due to road crashes, families are devastated, and communities suffer from these preventable deaths.
- Road accidents have significant economic implications, affecting productivity, healthcare costs, and infrastructure repair expenses. The cost of road crashes weighs heavily on the economy at a time when countries like Zimbabwe are striving to recover from crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the effects of cyclone Idai.
Online Reporter