POLICE have expressed concern over the sharp increase in road accidents this Easter holiday, with 32 fatalities recorded as of yesterday, compared to 18 deaths during the same period last year.
By Tinotenda Munyukwi
National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi in a statement, attributed most of the accidents to speeding, misjudgment, overtaking errors and failure to observe road rules.
“We urge drivers to travel at safe speeds and consider the safety of other road users. Pedestrians are also being urged to be observant when crossing roads and to use designated crossing points,” he said.
Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe communications manager Tatenda Chinoda told NewsDay that his organisation had mounted 19 educational roadblocks across the country’s major highways, as part of efforts to minimise road carnage.
“We have 19 educational roadblocks across the country this Easter and the message is that drivers should exercise caution and take it easy on the roads, especially tomorrow (today) when churches and families will be travelling back to various destinations,” Chinoda said.
He urged owners of public service vehicles to closely monitor their drivers and advise them on cautious driving, as a way of safeguarding the lives of their passengers.
“An important group is the public service vehicle owners because they are the ones who are listened to by their drivers and, therefore, they are supposed to play a leading role in preaching this gospel of safe driving,” he said.
