Avoid Road Accidents
Somewhere in this publication, we carry a story of Botswana Police Service expressing concerns over increased road accidents.
One would expect that since movement of people is restricted due to COVID-19 regulations, there would be fewer fatalities on the roads. Still, we lose many people due to road accidents.
According to the police, most road accidents are attributed to motorists’ bad attitude. The Police can sensitise motorists on road safety and other campaigns, but people must change their behaviour on the roads to stay alive.
Many of these accidents could have been avoided had the drivers respected road signs at all times. Where traffic lights are not functioning, drivers do not appear to want to take turns as it is supposed to be the case. This leads to accidents. We do not seem to learn.
We also call on drivers to exercise extra caution when driving at the newly installed traffic lights, as they seem to be confusing at times. Drivers should be vigilant and not just use the cliché “they have the right of way”.
This ‘right’ has led to many accidents and could claim more lives.
It is also a known fact that drinking alcohol while driving can lead to accidents. Motorists, however, continue to drink heavily and speed. In the process, they put the lives of many at risk.
Drinking from home will not only avoid accidents, but also reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 from others.
We also call on government to fix roads as they contribute to some of the accidents that claim lives. Authorities should use available funds from the Roads Fund for its purpose.
We further call on the government and contractors working on traffic lights to do better in ensuring that they are always functioning properly. This will go a long way in preserving lives that otherwise could be lost on the roads.
Authorities should also work with farmers on solutions to keep livestock away from the roads. These continue to cause accidents that could have been avoided.
Individuals should also ensure the good health of their cars. Ensuring their good state can help avoid accidents emanating from something that could have been detected while being serviced.
Road safety is the responsibility of all and if we all play our part we can stay alive on the road.