The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) launched the 2023 Festive Season Road Safety Awareness Campaign in Harare yesterday under the theme, “Together we can Save Lives”.
The campaign is launched every year prior to the festive season to remind road users of the need to exercise extreme caution, vigilance, patience, and avoid road rage at all costs while travelling on the country’s roads.
Zimbabwe every year loses approximately 1,800 lives due to road traffic accidents and more than 10,000 people are left nursing injuries.
This statistic is worrying and there is need for stakeholders to put their heads together and stem the vice.
Officiating at the launch was Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Honourable Joshua Sacco who implored road users to avoid drinking and driving for the safety of all road users.
“While the season ahead is one to relax, recharge and take a well- deserved break from a challenging year, it has regrettably also been characterised by increased cases of drivers who get behind the steering wheel while intoxicated, many of such, unfortunately conducting themselves recklessly and placing the lives of other road users at risk”, said Minister Sacco in his speech.
Road users were encouraged to improve their driving behaviour.
The delegates were informed that most accidents are attributed to human error which trend is worrisome.
“Disturbing too is the fact that the 2021 study by the United Nations on road safety in Zimbabwe revealed the sad fact that about 94% of all road traffic crashes in Zimbabwe are attributable to human error”, said the Deputy Minister.
Road crashes are a cost to the economy, delegates were informed.
“Distinguished invited guests, road crashes, place a huge burden to our economy, with the cost to the economy estimated by the UN Road safety Performance review published in 2022, to be around US$406 million annually. This is a cost that our economy can ill-afford.
I therefore challenge each of us to play your part in fulfilling the National pledge to cut down on road crashes by 50% by 2030”, the Deputy Minister advised.
Zimbabwe has committed to cutting down on road crashes by 50% by 2030. If all stakeholders pull in the same direction the target is achievable.
With increased road safety awareness and law enforcement the target will be surpassed.
Key players in road safety including, but not limited to the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Vehicle Examination Department, amongst others, will effective, this weekend, deploy throughout the country and roll out a festive season road safety education and awareness campaign across all 10 provinces of the country.
The government on its part has contributed to the reduction of accidents through rehabilitation, and construction of road across the country under the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP).
These projects were executed by the government under the able leadership and guidance of His Excellency the President of The Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D Mnangagwa.
The nation must complement the effort of the government and exercise caution on the country’s roads.
Together the nation can reduce accidents death and injuries.
