390 people died in the first quarter of 2023
Godfrey Chilabi
The Zambia Police Service recorded a total of 7,639 road traffic accidents countrywide during the first quarter of 2023, covering the period from January 1 to March 31, 2023.
Lusaka Province had the highest number of accidents with 4,186, representing 54.8% of the total accidents.
Out of these accidents, 360 were fatal, resulting in the deaths of 390 people.
Additionally, 744 were serious injury accidents, in which 1,119 people were seriously injured, and 1,458 were slight injury accidents, resulting in minor injuries to 2,043 people.
Assistant Public Relations Officer Godfrey Chilabi says the total number of casualties in the first quarter of 2023 was 3,552.
Chilabi says other provinces with significant numbers of accidents were Copperbelt with 1,159, Central with 641, Southern with 429, North-Western with 278, Eastern with 269, Luapula with 215, Western with 178, and Northern and Muchinga with 142.
He says comparing these figures with the first quarter of 2022, there is an increase in road traffic accidents by 384, but a decrease in fatal accidents and persons killed by 76 and 178, respectively. On the other hand, serious injury accidents increased by 85, while casualties decreased by 247.
Slight injury accidents increased by 150, but the number of persons slightly injured decreased by 38. There were also 225 more damage-only accidents recorded in the first quarter of 2023 than in the same period in 2022.
‘Most of these accidents were attributed to misjudging clearance distance, excessive speed, failing to keep to the nearside and cutting in.
“In the first quarter of 2022, K11,416,058.00 was collected as admission of guilt fines compared to K12,877,273.00 collected in the first quarter of 2023, indicating an increase in admission of guilt by K1,461,215.00.
“It is imperative that drivers exercise caution while on the road, obey traffic laws and regulations, and avoid behaviors that may lead to accidents. Road safety is a shared responsibility, and all road users have a role to play in ensuring that accidents are reduced and lives are saved,” he said.