Around 400 on-road fatalities annually – Police
Botswana Police Service statistics have revealed that an average of 400 people are killed annually in the country’s roads. Furthermore, the police have stated that eight to nine lives are lost every week, with most fatal road accidents occurring on weekends.
This was revealed by Director of Traffic, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Pilane Sibigi when addressing participants at the 2024 Road Safety Stakeholders Engagement meeting held at Travel Lodge.
He said the majority of deaths are mainly from single accident crashes, something of great concern as they affect the socio-economic development of the country.
Furthermore, as the investigators of these accidents, the police service has established that the major causes of road traffic accidents are drunken driving, inappropriate speed, carelessness, pedestrian misconduct, use of electronic gadgets while driving, and inexperienced driving. “Other causes of these fatal accidents are animals on the road and poor road conditions. Back in 2021, we lost 413 people on the road, 404 in 2022, and 396 in 2023. “Last year, at this time, we had lost 72 people out of 52 fatal accidents, whilst this year, we have already lost 48 people out of 44 fatal accidents,” he said.
The traffic director vowed that with road safety enforcement initiatives in place, they would enhance speed enforcement, particularly along highways, and focus on impaired driving enforcement through boozebus operations. Concerned by the rising number of unlicensed drivers behind most fatalities, he said they will intensify unlicensed driving operations and joint stakeholder educational campaigns.
Regarding safety education initiatives, Sibigi revealed there is a plan to introduce an 80,000 youth outreach programme along the A1 Road and to continue with the usual 60 Days of Action on Crime and Road Safety (community engagement).
He said they were also concerned by the continuing trend of multiple fatality crashes, incessant conflict between vehicular and pedestrian traffic and deficiency in the driver training system, which he identified as road safety challenges. “Other road safety challenges include a shortage of emergency rescue facilities in remote areas as we end up losing people while having to travel long distances to seek medical assistance and animals roaming the roads as most accidents are caused by collisions with animals, especially cattle and donkeys on highways,” he said. Sibigi added that the slow pace of road maintenance also contributes a lot to some accidents that claim lives as motorists would be trying to avoid potholes resulting in head-on collisions.
“We also continue to see impatient drivers on the road, especially when there is an increase in traffic volume that results in congestion and ends up causing unnecessary accidents,” he said.
“Another road safety challenge that remains a concern is indulgence in alcohol and drugs by the youth who are also prone to road accidents that continue to claim their lives.” As a mitigating factor and better management of the road safety situation, Sibigi pointed out the need for road safety stakeholders to consider working together, something that will also help reduce duplication of efforts and ensure cross-fertilisation of ideas and strengths.