Obey Sibanda, Features Reporter
ROAD traffic accidents are turning travelling into a game of gambling as the country’s highways increasingly become “jungles”.
Ever since ex-Japanese vehicles like the Honda-Fit started flooding local roads in recent years, there has been a proportional increase of accidents on the highways.
People are being maimed, killed or left with bruises on an almost daily basis in road traffic accidents.
So common have accidents become that people rarely panic at the sight of one. Most are seen peeping through vehicle windows to catch a glimpse of the wreckages and bodies strewn all over the tarmacs. Some turn into “journalists” filming and taking snapshots of the wreckages and victims with the intention of uploading the images on social media.
Though people often witness the miscellany of accidents, none take time to think deeply about the root cause of the accidents. People are quick to blame excessive speed, negligence on the part of the driver and poor road network.
Two weeks ago four people were crashed to death by a passenger train at a railway level crossing near Emganwini in Bulawayo.
It is said the driver of the car was trying to outpace the train. The four were coming from Redwood leisure centre in Figtree where they were having fun.
In Victoria Falls, last week four drunken lovebirds also met their tragic death when the driver lost control while trying to overtake another car at a turnoff along the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo highway.
The four were driving from KoPanashe leisure spot heading to Lupinyu Business Centre.
The two fatal accidents were a result of negligence and sheer disregard of road traffic rules and regulations.
Both drivers were in the company of friends which might have negatively influenced their driving.
Research shows that distracted driving is a serious issue that is seemingly getting worse by each passing day. While friends could prove important company on long distance road trips, they can be distractions that could influence road traffic accidents at times.
Carrying passengers in the car has a number of potential distracting effects. The more the number of passengers – especially friends – the greater the likelihood of a crash. Most drivers who like to drive with multiple friends are, “thrill seekers” who do not accurately perceive the risk inherent in driving.
Males driving with friends are more likely to perform an illegal maneuver that includes speeding and ignoring traffic regulations compared to those driving alone, research shows.
Passengers tend to distract the driver by praising and showering him with instructions.
Mavis Sibanda of Pumula South said some passengers view themselves as experienced drivers and begin to challenge the driver’s aptitude.
She says they have a tendency of nagging the driver with questions whenever he or she tries to negotiate blind rises and junctions, positively distracting his or her attentiveness.
A kombi driver, Thabani Ncube, is of the view that distractions happen mostly if the driver is not familiar with the roads and request passengers to help him navigate.
“Abrupt instructions such as turn left or right when the driver has already driven past the turning point distructs the driver. Any driver caught unaware may make a sudden turn without properly thinking and plunge into a ditch or hit road sign posts,” said Ncube.
Teen passengers also influence one’s driving behaviour. Their contribution to road carnage is immense. Young drivers of public vehicles often show poor judgment on the country roads resulting in accidents.
Youthful passengers may increase the risk of young drivers getting involved in accidents through multiple pathways, driver destruction and peer influence.
Mandla Makhubalo, 17, of Lobengula West told of his horrific experience which brought his career as a football player to a halt.
The accident, which also claimed the life of his younger sister, occurred last year.
Mandla was driving from a family party with his sister, Sicelo and friends as passengers.
“I was trying to navigate a turn on a rainy day with one hand on the wheel and the other scrolling down my friend’s phone. The car went off the road and slammed into the back of a stationary haulage truck,” said Mandla.
Just a moment before the accident, Mandla had turned his attention to his friend sitting at the back in an animated conversation which caught his attention.
He had been given the car by his mother, Juliana Makhubalo, to take his friends and Sicelo homeafter a family outing at Hillside Dams.
“I remember looking at the car and seeing my dying daughter trapped inside. She was lying helpless and I never thought that I could be seeing her for the last time,” said Makhubalo tears streaming down her face.
She said parents need to be more involved in their teen children’s driving by continuously monitoring their social activities.
In road traffic accidents involving public transport, blame has been apportioned to passengers’ silence whenever drivers decide to disregard speed limits.
Passengers’ silence encourages the driver to continue speeding thereby jeopardising their safety.
“Most passengers are conversant with traffic road rules and regulations. They know the dangers of travelling at high speed but they keep their cool when the driver is speeding only to complain to the police when they are involved in accidents,” said Dumisani Mdlongwa of Paddonhurst.
Members of the public believe passenger involvement is the panacea into road traffic accidents. They challenged the government to impose laws restricting the number of passengers that a car driven by teen drivers can carry.
Bulawayo police spokesperson, Inspector Precious Simango, urged members of the public to respect and follow road safety rules always.
She said after disembarking from vehicles, most people fail to check whether the road is safe before crossing.
“People should desist from boarding overloaded vehicles or buses always. They should be on the lookout for vehicles that are not road worthy as we approach the festive season.
Boarding an already overloaded bus is putting one’s life in danger,” said Inspector Simango.
She urged passengers to report errant drivers to police manning road blocks.
“We know the festive season is time to make money for transport operators. We encourage drivers to desist from working long hours in order to avoid the dangers associated with fatigue,” said Inspector Simango.
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) says most road accidents are a result of human error.
According to statistics 93.4 percent of accidents recorded during the 2014/ 2015 festive season were a result of human error.
There was a nine percent increase in the number of road traffic accidents in the country in 2014 compared to 2013.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) 2014 annual traffic report says a total of 37,619 road traffic accidents were recorded from January 2013 to December 2013 compared to 41,016 recorded from January 2014 to December 2014.
As many as 12,910 people were injured in 2013 road traffic accidents while 11,458 were injured in 2014.
A total number of 1,695 deaths were recorded from January to October in 2013 compared to 1,340 during the same period in 2014.