Safety is in your hands this New Year long weekend

The New Year long carnage on Zambian roads has for the past few years been steadily increasing.

However, by the third quarter of 2017, we saw a reduction of 20% in the number of road accidents compared to 2016. The Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST) expresses the hope that this was the start of a trend, rather than a blip in the statistics. And, the ZRST, warns, continued reductions in road fatalities are only possible if all road users change their attitudes while behind the wheel.

“Motorists are advised to prepare themselves for more cars on the road, and possible delays at filling stations and toll plazas. We encourage all drivers to ensure they are suitably refreshed for their journeys, and have the right, calm attitude while driving,”

The ZRST noted that many crashes on the road are the result of poor driver behaviour, and said drivers need to obey all the rules of the road including sticking to the speed limit, not drinking and driving, and not using electronic devices while driving.

“Too often drivers think bad situations won’t happen to them, which is not true. It only takes one other driver who is reckless to cause mayhem on the roads. We want to urge all drivers to be respectful of others, to not take chances on the roads, and to think of the consequences of their actions. Above all, we want everyone who is on the road during this New Year period to arrive at their destinations safely, and to return safely afterwards,”

The ZRST offered a few safety tips to drivers for the New Year period:

• Always buckle up, including passengers
• Drive to the conditions of the road (especially when it’s raining), and not necessarily the marked speed limit for a particular road
• Ensure all tyres, including the spare, are in good condition
• Focus on the road, and not on your mobile phone, while driving
• Do not overtake on a solid white line, or on a blind rise. Consider oncoming traffic
• Drive sober
• Be courteous and considerate to other road users
• Give extra space to pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users
• Watch out for children on the roads, they may be outside because of the school holidays

The ZRST also warned drivers to expect delays on the roads as the police and RTSA safety initiatives are expected to be ramped up over this period.