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Chronicle Reporters
NINETY-TWO people died while 333 were injured from 1 285 road traffic accidents recorded throughout the country in the first two weeks of the festive season.
The statistics marked an increase of 20 deaths, compared to last year during the same period when 72 accident-related deaths were recorded between December 15 and 27.
Last year 337 people were injured in 1 626 accidents.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said of the 1 285 accidents 69 were serious ones.
Asst Comm Nyathi said on Christmas Day 13 people died in road accidents.
“On Unity Day, that is 22 December 2022, a total of 107 road traffic accidents were recorded countrywide, and three of the accidents were fatal, where three people died while 27 others were injured. In 2021, 144 road traffic accidents were recorded, with seven being fatal, killing 10 people while 26 others were injured,” he said.
“On Christmas day, a total of 119 road traffic accidents were recorded countrywide, with 10 being fatal, killing 13 people and injuring 89, compared to 187 road traffic accidents recorded during the same period in 2021, with 10 fatal were 13 people killed and 35 injured.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said on Monday, 88 road accidents were recorded claiming 16 lives while 19 others were injured.
He said during the same period last year 103 road accidents were recorded, claiming seven lives while 29 others were injured.
Asst Comm Nyathi said most road accidents were as a result of misjudgments on the roads. He called on motorists to exercise extreme caution on the road.
“Most of the road traffic accidents occurred on highways as a result of speeding, overtaking errors, inattention, misjudgment, following too close, and recklessness on the part of drivers,” he said.
“In most of the accidents recorded, motorists were trying to overtake in situations which were not safe to do so. They also encroached onto the lane of oncoming traffic and straddled the centre lane resulting in some hitting pedestrians walking on the side of the roads or standing at bus stops.”
On Sunday, four people died while 18 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in two separate accidents that happened on Christmas Day in Binga and Hwange districts in Matabeleland North.
The first accident involved Zanu-PF Youth League chairperson for Matabeleland North, Cde Alvin Lundi Sinzeka whose vehicle veered off the road before overturning and rolling several times along the Cross Dete-Binga road near Manjolo.
One person died on the spot while Cde Sinzeka and four others who are members of the same family were injured. They were rushed to Binga District Hospital and Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo.
The accident happened at 10am at the 115km peg and Cde Sinzeka was driving from Binga to Mangobole with five passengers onboard.
Cde Sinzeka allegedly failed to negotiate a curve resulting in him losing control of the vehicle and veering off the road before it overturned and rolled several times. The car landed on its side and one passenger died on the spot.
The second accident occurred at around 7.45 pm when a speeding Toyota Hilux heading towards Victoria Falls from Bulawayo hit seven pedestrians who were walking on the roadside before ramming into a stationary Honda Fit carrying six people.
Two pedestrians died on the spot while the other one, a passenger in the Honda Fit, died upon admission to St Patrick’s Hospital.
The drivers, Trust Ngwenya of the Honda Fit and Tapiwa Maambira who was driving the Toyota Hilux were also injured while their vehicles were extensively damaged.
Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga recently issued a statement saying that the police had launched a campaign dubbed, “Join Hands in Preventing Crime and Road Carnage” running from December 15 to January 15.
The campaign is aimed at ensuring that all criminal activities in communities and reckless driving conduct on the roads are decisively dealt with. – @ncubeleon @flora_sibanda
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