BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
A total of 92 people have so far died during this year’s festive season with 1 285 traffic accidents being reported , police records have revealed.
In a survey conducted between December 15 to 26, police said of the total fatalities and accidents, most of them involved privately owned vehicles.
“In 2022, police recorded 1 285 road traffic accidents, 69 fatal accidents, 92 deaths and the number of people injured stood at 333,”police said on Tuesday.
“On Unity Day, 22nd December 2022, a total of 107 road traffic accidents were recorded countrywide, and three (03) of the accidents were fatal, where three (03) people died while 27 others were injured.
” On Christmas day, 25th December 2022, 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 which killed 13 people and injured 35 others.
“On Boxing Day, 26th December 2022, 88 road traffic accidents were recorded countrywide, 15 being fatal and 16 people were killed while 19 others were injured, compared to the year 2021 where 103 road traffic accidents were recorded, with five (5) being fatal, seven (07) people killed while 29 others injured.”
Police said 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, who in most of the accidents recorded were trying to overtake in situations which were not safe to do so, encroached onto the lane of oncoming traffic, straddled the centre lane, showed clear poor observation and control of the vehicles resulting in some hitting pedestrians who were walking on the side of the roads or standing at bus stops.
“No major road accident involving public service vehicles has been recorded so far. However, the police is concerned with the number of private vehicles involved in accidents during this holiday,” police revealed.
“Some of them will be overloaded while others are being used for purposes that are clearly not suitable for such use.”
In 2021, 144 road traffic accidents were recorded on Unity Day, with seven being fatal, killing 10 people while 26 others were injured
Police added that during the same period last year additional 72 people died in road traffic accidents while 1 626 road traffic accidents were recorded, with 62 being fatal.
Meanwhile, police said they have impounded 2 159 vehicles for various defects.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police urges drivers to be cautious and promote road safety on the roads as the holiday continues,” police cautioned.
“There is no need for one to be over-excited or reckless on the roads. The Police will continue with the current deployment level on the roads and communities till the 15th of January 2023.
We urge motorists to be responsible on the roads, to self-introspect and to be safety conscious. ”