Poor roads, human error to blame for traffic accidents
Lazarus Sauti
Horrific
accidents make headlines with alarming frequency in Zimbabwe. In early
March this year, 31 people perished after a Pfochez Yutong Bus burst its front
right tyre before side-swiping with a Mercedes Benz Sprinter commuter omnibus
at the 232km peg along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway.
The horror crash was declared a national disaster.
Another dreadful accident that occurred on April 15
and also proclaimed a national disaster killed 12 people whilst 45 were injured
when an MB Transport bus they were travelling in collided head on with a
haulage truck 45km outside Beitbridge town.
These accidents unravel the tragedy and show that
Zimbabwe’s roads are fast becoming death snares.
Further, statistics released by the police early
this year, indicate that Zimbabwe’s roads have become death traps with an
average of 2 000 people dying each year on the roads.
“Every year since 2006, road accident fatalities
have increased from a total of 1 037 deaths with the media reports indicating
that about five people die on Zimbabwe’s roads daily,” noted the report.
Sadly, traffic-related injuries and fatalities are
not only ravaging the country but are also placing undue pressure on inadequate
health systems in the country.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)
and the World Bank (WB), poorer countries like Zimbabwe are “disproportionately
affected” by road traffic injuries and fatalities, which place undue pressure
on inadequate health systems and on victims and their families, but also on
society, since half of those who die or are disabled are young adults, its most
productive segment.
But who is to blame for this “cancer” that is
ravaging the country and stalling socio-economic development?
Statistics claim that most road traffic accidents
are a direct result of human error.
The Zimbabwe Statistics Agency (Zimstat) noted that
widespread disregard for rules coupled with lack of competency by motorists
fuel chaos and traffic offences on the country’s roads.
According to figures released by Zimstat for this
year’s first quarter, all traffic offences have experienced a sharp increase
since 2010 except for drunken driving.
Crediting the Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) as
the source of most of these traffic crime statistics countrywide, Zimstat
added: “The number of motorists arrested for driving without due care increased
from 2 201 in 2010 to 37 419 in 2015 while unlicensed drivers rose to 13 800
last year from 819 in 2010.
“Last year, the number of drivers fined for
speeding increased to 34 782 from 24 330 in 2010 while cases involving
negligent driving were 5 619 against 209 recorded in 2010.”
Four hundred and eighteen reckless drivers,
asserted the Zimstat, were fined in 2015 from 29 drivers arrested for the same
offence in 2010.
Zimstat also said: “The number of vehicles recorded
for operating without insurance in 2010 was 2 678 while in 2015 the figures
rose to 28 033 cases.
“The number of motorists operating vehicles without
the Licensing Act increased from 4 356 in 2010 to 42 615 cases last year.”
Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), the
principal agent in promoting traffic safety, is on record saying most
traffic-related injuries and casualties are a result of human error.
“Human error alone, which is quite preventable,
contributed 93,4 percent to the cause of last year’s festive season road
traffic accidents,” said a TSCZ traffic safety officer.
TSCZ board member Allowance Sango concurs.
“Human mistakes such as failure to give way,
speeding, misjudgment, overtaking and reserving errors, following too close,
fatigue and negligent pedestrians or cyclists cause traffic-related injuries
and fatalities,” he said, adding that lack of safety features in most cars is
another behind road death.
Sango, who is also a transport director in the
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, says worn tyres, brakes
and shock absorbers, cracks and potholes that can cause a driver to lose
control of the vehicle, signs that have fallen or cannot be seen because of
overgrown foliage and faded paint markings that are invisible from the driver’s
seat are just a few of the unsafe road conditions that can lead to a car crash.
Gift Taderera, a traffic and safety researcher,
blames poor road infrastructure as well as reckless driving for the increase in
horrific accidents in the country.
“The country is still lagging behind in terms of
road infrastructure. Our roads are in poor condition and this is contributing
to terrible calamities,” he said.
Sango and Taderera believe there is need for reform
if the country is to standardise safety devices, improve vehicle inspections,
reform license testing and increase road safety public awareness campaigns to
reduce or eliminate road accidents.
“Ending traffic-related accidents requires a
holistic approach. For that reason, all stakeholders responsible for
maintaining roads and ensuring they are safe for drivers, cyclists and
pedestrians should join hands and invest in road safety programmes as part of
corporate social responsibility portfolios,” said Sango.
Taderera said Zimbabwe needs wide-ranging
cooperative efforts if the country is to end traffic-related injuries.
“The Government, as the biggest stakeholder, should
source for financial resources and work closely with various agencies in
providing proper signage, lighting, pavement markings, signals and traffic
control devices,” he added.
As part of reforms, the Passengers Association of
Zimbabwe (PAZ) said passengers must have their say towards safety as well as
related rights when travelling.
In a statement, Tafadzwa George Goliat, the PAZ
president, said: “Road carnage is so serious that we can no longer view as
indifferent spectators. We must be involved as actors irrespective of whom we
are, we all have a role to play.”
He added: “Passengers must not be passengers to the
hilt, they also should ensure that they have a say towards their safety and
rights when travelling.
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