admin
Tanyaradzwa Mujati
Post Reporter
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) is aiming to reduce road injuries and fatalities by 25 percent by Year 2025.
Speaking at the launch of the Easter and Independence holidays campaign in Mutare early this week, TSCZ’s board vice chairperson, Mrs Felie Mjonga said the objective for this year’s Easter and Independence holidays Road Safety Campaign is to reduce road fatalities throughout the country and ensure a road crash-free holiday.
“Our national target under the National Development Strategy (NDS1) is to reduce road crashes, injuries and fatalities by 25 percent by 2025 and 50 percent by 2030.
“It is tragic that the majority of those whose lives are lost during the Easter and Independence periods are youths aged between 20 and 34 years.
“The road is a shared space. Pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and drivers need to understand that. Adherence to the rules of the road will not only enhance our nation’s ability to grow the economy, but will also ensure that our roads do not become graveyards. It is time we raise the bar in our fight to arrest carnage on the roads,” she said.
Mrs Mjonga called upon the Zimbabwe Republic Police and other law enforcing agencies to enforce stiff penalties to those who fail to adhere to road regulations.
“We understand that safety on our roads will not improve unless we improve law enforcement and ensure that the culture of impunity on the roads is a thing of the past. Those who break the rules must understand that the long arm of the law will find you. You will have to face the consequences of your behaviour.
“Together with the Zimbabwe Republic Police and other law enforcing agencies, we have been making gradual progress over the years, and we continue to close the loopholes that errant motorists rely on to evade the mighty of the law. There will be an intense focus on ensuring that our roads are a safe place to be, with no violation of traffic regulations.
“We say safety first. There is no second chance, let us use the 2023 Easter and Independence period to reignite the ethos of unhu/ubuntu, compassion and empathy to end the carnage on our roads,” said Mrs Mjonga.
She advised road users to take caution and encouraged them to avoid travelling at night.
“From road crash researches the world over, one in every five fatal road crashes are single vehicles overturning. This is driven by various contributory factors, which include excessive speeding, fatigue, drinking and driving, driving under the influence of drugs as well as overloading of passengers and goods. Road safety is our collective responsibility.
“In Zimbabwe, the four-day Easter weekend is a period where on average we lose not less than 20 lives each year, while during the two-day Independence Day celebrations, we lose not less than 10 lives.
“In 2022, 264 road crashes were recorded and 73 people lost their lives during the Easter and Independence holidays. It is important for us to take note that most fatal crashes occur during Friday and Saturday night and more than 70 percent of the hit and runs also happen at night,” she added.
Insurance Council of Zimbabwe’s marketing and public relations manager, Ms Ringisai Batiya said in terms of deaths from road accidents, Zimbabwe is rated second highest in the SADC region.
“Statistics from various internet sites show that Zimbabwe is rated second highest in terms of deaths from road accidents. This is why we must remind each other of the importance of road safety.
“Responsible driving and observance of road safety measures are the first lines of defence in terms of avoiding injuries and unnecessary deaths on our roads.
“The insurance industry is concerned with the high levels of disregard for traffic laws by road users, both motorists and pedestrians. People now make it normal to break traffic laws, right in front of law enforcement authorities. We call for more stringent penalties,” she said.
Ms Batiya added: “Faced with the possibility of an increase in road mishaps and victims requiring assistance during Easter, the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe has made efforts to provide public transport associations with channels to access assistance for victims, particularly medical help.
“This will include urgent verification of insurance covers, provision of ambulance services and the authorisation of medical treatment at Government hospitals.”
Online Reporter