12 Sep 2018

 Sergeant Kelebogile Bareetseng of Lobatse police has expressed concern over escalating road accident fatalities.

Speaking in an interview after official launch of road safety and health awareness campaign in Lobatse, Sergeant Bareetseng said between January and September 7 this year, they recorded 245 accidents and 301 people lost their lives when compared to 297 last year the same period.

He cited high speed, driving under the influence of alcohol, fatigue, medication intake, racing and lack of wearing driver and child restraint seat belts as some of contributing factors towards road accidents.Between March and September this year, he said police recorded 187 cases of drunken driving noting most of such accidents notably affected youth aged between 15-29 years of age.

Sergeant Bareetseng reiterated that road fatalities affected the nation’s economy in that lives of future leaders are lost and pleaded with Batswana to always obey traffic and observe safety standards.Giving a testimony, Mr Tebogo Malongwa advised Batswana to change behavior when driving and make road safety a lifestyle, encouraging all to always obey laws all the time, and not only when they encounter police officers.

Mr Malongwa, who is living with disability following an accident in 2007 said despite his condition, he has accepted that life after disability and encouraged those facing situations to accept fate and move on.

Coordinator for the campaign Ms Omphemetse Mmolai hailed the campaign a success by attract participants from within and even outside of Lobatse and successfully bringing together mobile clubs together, creating a youth friendly platform and for organization to exhibit their services. ENDS