EDITORIAL COMMENT: Motorists should strictly observe road rules

motorists

A total of 28 people had been killed in road traffic accidents across the country by end of day on Tuesday in 117 accidents. It is clear from the reports that all the fatal accidents were as a result of human error which means they could have been avoided.

National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said speeding was the main cause of most of the accidents. Many of the drivers involved in the fatal accidents either failed to negotiate curves, lost control of the vehicle on a straight stretch of the road or failed to give way at junctions. What all this confirms is that drivers are not exercising extreme caution while at the wheel.

What is comforting however is that no major fatal accidents were recorded on the country’s highways which means the police roadblocks were very effective. The worst day so far was the Christmas Day when 16 people were killed while 45 others were injured in 106 road accidents recorded countrywide.

It is obvious that most of the motorists involved in the fatal accidents on this day were already in a celebratory mood. We have repeatedly said that those travelling should only start celebrating after reaching their destinations to avoid unnecessary loss of lives and property.

The police on Christmas Day alone impounded 90 unroadworthy vehicles and arrested more than                                            6 000 motorists. There is every reason to conclude that this clampdown partly contributed to reduced fatal accidents on the country’s highways on Christmas and Boxing Day. People are once again travelling to enjoy the New Year festivities starting today and we once again appeal to motorists to strictly observe the road rules and regulations in order to avoid accidents.

It should be the responsibility of drivers, passengers and the police to ensure we tame the traffic jungle so that we have an accident free New Year holiday. During the Christmas holiday we did not record major fatalities involving public transport vehicles such as buses which means the operators took heed of the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Dr Joram Gumbo’s call not to overwork drivers or overload buses.

The figures of road accident fatalities recorded since the beginning of the Christmas festivities are too high and all measures should be taken to ensure the numbers are drastically reduced during the New Year holiday. Police should continue manning the roadblocks and remove all undesirable elements from the road such as those that decide to drink and drive.

We have said it before that passengers should not allow drivers to put their lives at risk. When they realise that the driver is driving recklessly, they should not hesitate to order him to stop or report him at the next roadblock. Let us start 2017 positively by driving to avoid accidents and it starts with you and me.

 

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