03 Apr 2017

An official with Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund has cautioned both motorists and pedestrians to be accountable and take responsibility when using road to scale down the ever rising road traffic accidents.

Speaking in an interview during the weekend’s Road Safety Activation Campaign held at Game City Mall in Gaborone, Mr Tlhabano Mmusi, who is injury prevention manager (community projects) with MVA noted that many lives continued to be lost in national roads and this was prevalent on weekends and month ends and therefore it was prudent that they came up with such campaigns.

Mr Mmusi however said since the nation was enthusiastically preparing for the anticipated public holidays, where many people would be embarking on long journeys within and outside the country, it was therefore timely that they started to drive the spirit of road traffic safety awareness as early as now.

He noted that last year alone, at least 450 lives were lost to road traffic accidents of which some of the accidents could have been easily avoided had precautions heeded to.

To this end he said as MVA which also contributed in financing some of the victims of road safety in issues related to medical bills and livelihood, they had partnered with some NGOs in the fight against road traffic accidents.

Mr Mmusi said chief among common cases of road traffic accidents in Botswana was over speeding, alcohol and drug abuse, driver fatigue, failure to put seat belt, failure to use tacked-in seat for under five children, destructive driving by using mobile phone, eating and texting.

He therefore encouraged both motorists and drivers to be responsible road users by changing their behaviour on road usage.

For his part, chairperson of Zero Road Traffic Accidents Organisation, Mr Kabelo Malongwa, who is also wheelchair bound, said they had come to the realisation that as victims of road traffic accidents, they should play a leading role in road safety public awareness campaign.

He noted that most road accidents happen during weekends, hence they saw it fit to conduct their campaigns on weekends on busy malls as many people would be passing by. ENDS