admin Tatenda Chinoda
When fighting against an epidemic, efforts tend to concentrate on prevention. Of course, prevention is better than cure. We also believe the same is true when it comes to road traffic safety. Preventing an accident is better than the suffering that follows an accident.
Nevertheless, in spite of all our efforts, accidents happen.
Globally, the third Sunday of November each year was adopted by the UN as a World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Accident Victims.
On November 24, 2013, the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe will be co-ordinating a belated commemoration of road traffic accident victims by remembering the Dzivarasekwa kombi disaster.
The disaster, which killed 35 people, occurred on March 6, 2007.
This commemoration will be held at Kirkman Road rail-level crossing from 8am to 1230pm.
The remembrance of road traffic accident victims was initiated in 1993 by RoadPeace, a United Kingdom charity for road traffic victims.
Since 1998, countries such as Argentina, Australia, Israel, Trinidad and South Africa have adopted and observed the Remembrance Day.
On October 26, 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 60/5 on improving global road safety.
This resolution called for the third Sunday of November to be recognised as the annual Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
Zimbabwe will this year join the world in observing this special day for the third time. According to a WHO (2012) report, road crashes are the leading cause of deaths in people of ages five to 34 in the United States, the leading cause of death globally among children and young people ages 10 to 24, and the third leading cause of death globally among people ages 30 to 44.
Every six seconds someone is killed or maimed on the world’s roads, including drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
The economic impact of road crashes is also significant. In low and middle-income countries, the cost of road traffic injuries is estimated at up to US$100 billion a year, money that could be spent on schools, hospitals and economic development.
Road traffic injuries cost countries between 1 and 2 percent of their Gross National Product.
Institutions, families and individuals are therefore called upon to remember those that died, were maimed or injured in road traffic accidents.
There are a lot of things that we can do to remember those affected by road traffic accidents.
We can light memorial candles for the departed and lay memorial flowers on their graves.
The injured, most of whom are hospitalised and admitted at rehabilitation centres, like the Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre, need much more than flowers.
They need our support financially and materially.
Similarly, those families and individuals affected by the death or injury of their beloved ones, in some cases breadwinners, need the same support of Good Samaritans and philanthropists.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Accident Victims offers an annual opportunity to increase public awareness of the burden of road traffic collisions on communities, families and individuals hence underscoring the need to initiate and promote efforts to control this major public health and development problem and assist victims.
As we remember these and other disasters that claimed and maimed our beloved ones, we need to be more resolute and relentlessly campaign for road safety.
As we approach the 2013 festive season, let us also remember that 260 people perished during the 2012 festive period.
This time, together in strong action for road safety, we can fight to reduce that figure by more than 50 percent.
The Harare District Traffic Safety Consultative Committee will officially launch the 2013 festive season campaign on December 2, 2013.
Let us all play our part in taming the traffic jungle in Zimbabwe and save thousands of lives.
It starts with us to prevent road accidents and drivers and other road users are urged to be more careful on the roads.
Accidents are never a pleasant thing and bring a lot of misery to the communities hence they should be avoided at all costs.
- The writer, Tatenda Chinoda, is a Traffic Safety Officer – Marketing and can be contacted on email: [email protected]/[email protected]; Cell: 0772 966 075 or phone 04 -751203
Online Reporter