THE disturbing reports of Zimbabweans being killed in traffic accidents serve as an urgent call for collective action from all stakeholders to reduce these crashes.
Many could be avoided, especially those resulting from human error and the use of vehicles that are not roadworthy.
Many lives have been needlessly lost in road traffic accidents in the last couple of months.
These include the Manyame Bridge crash that claimed 17 lives, the Masvingo-Mutare highway accident that killed eight people near Mbungo Estates, and the most recent one along the Gweru-Zvishavane Road, which resulted in two fatalities.
The pursuit of profit seen in most operators fuels the prevalence of road crashes. This is especially true for passenger transport vehicles, whose drivers deliberately disregard the dangers to human life as they race overloaded vehicles to meet targets. Drivers are human and need to be relieved, but several operators prefer using a single driver to minimise costs.
Overloaded 22-seater Mercedes Benz Sprinters reportedly pay their way through police checkpoints, while smaller commuter omnibuses carry far beyond their maximum capacities — yet nobody seems to care.
In other jurisdictions, such as South Africa, kombis do not carry more than their stipulated number of passengers, and enforcement is thorough. In Zimbabwe, however, disobeying laws relating to vehicle capacity is the norm.
As a result, police must ensure these and other laws governing public transport vehicles are followed to the letter.
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They must also ensure the vehicles themselves are subjected to constant checks and inspections for roadworthiness, regardless of claims that this area is fraught with corruption.
Vehicles that are not roadworthy reportedly pay their way through checkpoints that have allegedly been turned into cash collection ventures, despite the obvious risks they pose to the travelling public.
Authorities must ensure all public transport vehicles meet certain criteria before they are allowed on the road, as unroadworthy vehicles compromise the safety of all road users.
Driver training is critical, as some of the worst crashes have resulted from human error.
These incidents could be drastically reduced through appropriate driver training run by professional bodies such as the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe.
The impact of drugs and other concoctions cannot be ignored. Kombi drivers in particular allegedly abuse alcohol and dangerous substances before getting behind the wheel, thereby exposing passengers to accidents.
There is no excuse for accidents resulting from the condition of our roads, as all highways have Zimbabwe National Roads Administration-manned toll gates collecting money 24/7. The improvement of these roads must be prioritised when these funds are utilised.
These, among other recommendations, will go a long way in reducing the frequent accidents on our roads.
