being involved in a fatal Road Traffic Accident in Kitwe.
The accident involved a Toyota Corolla which overturned along Kuomboka
Drive in Parklands residential area
The number of road traffic accidents in Zambia almost doubled in the last six years a latest road safety study covering the period 2008 to 2013 has revealed.
The study further reveals that accident rates have continued to rise at approximately nine percent per annum while the fatality rates have been increasing at approximately 10 percent per annum.
The indicates that the number of deaths due to road traffic accidents also increased by approximately 50 percent from 1, 238 in 2008 to 1, 851 in 2013 while the death rates due to road accidents per 100, 000 people increased by 30 percent.
Principal Investigator Godfrey Biemba said the study attributed the increase in road accidents to poor road infrastructure and human error on the roads.
He said this when he made a presentation on the current state of road safety in Zambia during a dissemination workshop on road safety at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Lusaka yesterday.
Dr Biemba said the number of road traffic accidents increased by 48 percent from 19, 727 in 2008 to 29, 118 in 2013.
He revealed that North-western Province recorded the highest increase in the number of road traffic accidents over the last six years from 469 in 2008 to 1, 553 in 2013 representing a 227 percent increase.
He further stated that accident rates per 100, 000 people also increased by 31 percent from 156 accidents recorded per 100, 000 in 2008 to 205 accidents recorded over 100, 000 in 2013.
Dr Biemba stated that the highest number of road traffic accidents were reported in Lusaka with some 74, 215 case recorded followed by Copperbelt and Central Provinces with 30, 166 and 9, 081 cases of road accidents recorded respectively.
He said the central region recorded the highest case fatality rates in 2013 at 17.1 percent followed by Southern Province at 8.3 percent and North Western Province at seven percent.
Dr Biemba disclosed that six major causes of accidents were identified which included misjudgement of clearance distance, failing to keep to nearside, cutting in, reversing negligently, excessive speeding and pedestrian crossing the road.
He also stated that measures currently being implemented appear to be inadequate both in terms of scale and variety.
He however stated that government has shown political will to reduce the number of road traffic accidents in the country by improving road infrastructure through the construction of major roads and implementation of policies and measures to ensure safety on the roads.
The study was conducted by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), the Zambia Centre for Allied Research Development and the Zambia Police Service.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Joseph Kasonde thanked the media for continuously alerting members of the public on the consequences of road traffic accidents.
He said road traffic accidents are a big problem that requires serious intervention to curb.
The number of vehicles that have been imported into the country over the years has more than quadrupled. Simutenously, you should expect accidents to relatively increase. We had badly maintained roads in the mid 80’s but less number of road traffic accidents than today because of few vehicles on the roads then. You should factor in this aspect in your analysis.
The 6 major causes of accidents actually indicate the fact that we do not have well qualified drivers on the roads in zambia. This then goes back to the original source that allows people to drive in zambia….
do your math 🙂
Unfortunately, such as above are the answers you get both at RASTA and Parliament. Very simplistic, buffoonery with a “don’t worry and don’t care” attitude. That “this is expected when more cars share the road” is a less than rational response to such a serious and urgent matter. Developed countries have more cars bt do nt compare proportionately to the casualties we see on our roads. Not even Tanzania is close to this. Our roads have become the 3rd killer after Malaria and HIV. Serious heads, political will and level headedness are needed to curb this.
Ba RATSA, I cannot understand how a 500 km road could have no markings whatsoever; no middle line and no edge lines. This is ridiculous. At night you simply pray that you can pass the oncoming car safely, you simply guess where the…
How is Kazimu doing?
I will not be surprised if a drive is kicked off to go to road junctions to pray against accidents. The overriding factor to the increase is that we have not improved on our road infrastructure apart from resurfacing the same colonial infrastructure we inherited. We need to get serious, introduce multi-lane, one way highways and roads as well as modernize our policing. You have over zealous policemen who cannot even explain the statistics of accidents due to reflectors that they harass drivers over!
It’s because of too many unqualified and drunk drivers.
Human error has a lot to do with these accidents because every one just want to get a car and start speeding the very day. Us Zambians are also not courteous on the roads, we always want to have our way. Look at populous countries like China & just our neighbor Tanzania.
These accidents is the evil work of UPND. They are sacrificing people’s blood in an effort to get to power. Am sure they have not recovered from the 2011 election loss. Killing people shouldnt be the shortcut to power. Whatever they do it results in spilling innocent people’s blood: The Mapatizya formula, Mangango, Livingstone etc. Now they are staging fatal accidents. Am so disappointed in these Tongas.
TOO MUCH SATANISM IN ZAMBIA. CHURCH LEADERS STOP FUNDRAISING IN CHURCH PRAY WITHOUT CEAZING. RATSA ALL STAKE HOLDERS LET US NOT USE OUR KNOWLEDGE BUT SEEK GOD FIRST. SOME PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN THE DEVIL MORE POWERS BY SACRIFICING THEIR FELLOW TO PROLONG THEIR LIFE, POWER AND MONEY. ALL IS VANITY INVEST IN GOD. THE DEVIL COMES TO STEAL, DESTROY AND KILL BUT CHRIST GIVES US ABUNDANCE OF LIFE. GOD WILL SOON DESTROY THE SATAN KINGDOM. SATANISM SATANISM SATANISM IN ZAMBIA GOD PROTECT THIS NATION IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
…all accidents fatal or not must be microscopically looked at. Coming up with statistics mathematically is a complex matrix. There are so many obvious and latent factors to consider. Its not a matter of waking up today and say there were 50 fatal accidents last year and 75 this year therefore its 50% increase…NO..
Like already alluded to above….increase in traffic, bad road design, road markings and traffic signs, ‘unroad-worthy’ vehicles, drink-driving, ‘phone-driving’, second hand tyres, driver tiredness, misjudgement, unlicensed drivers, process to obtain a license not ‘vigorous’ enough, briefcase driving schools and above all drivers obtaining licenses corruptly…… If any thing has to change for the better, the above factors has to be analysed thru/under the…
…..under the microscope. I totally agree with the last statement….in the article
Too many learners n slow drivers especially our ladies
This is very good. Let’s save lives by sharing best possible remedies towards traffic safety