18 Oct 2018

Botswana Police Service Commissioner Mr Keabetswe Makgophe has said road accidents present challenges not only to public health, but to socio-economic status on the victims, families and the country.

Speaking at the Youth Drivers Outreach programme launch in Gaborone on October 17, Mr Makgophe said in addition to loss of life, challenges include high medical bills, long term care, disability, incapability, material damage as well as loss of opportunities.

Themed: Cultivating Responsible Use of the Road by the Youth Leaders of Tomorrow, Young Drivers Outreach programme was aimed at directing the youth into being responsible road users.

Mr Makgophe stated that statistics showed that the youth aged between 18 and 40 account for the larger percentage of road traffic accidents resulting in serious injuries and death.

“In 2016 a total of 450 people lost lives in which a total of 286 causalities fell within the youth population age bracket 18-40,” he said.

He pointed out that in 2017, 444 road accident deaths were recorded, out of which 247 were the youth while in 2018 between January and September 342 lives were lost with 181 being the youth causalities.

On average, the Commissioner of Police showed that 56 per cent of the road accident casualties were the youth. 

He said the increasing rate loss of youth in road accidents was bound to negatively affect the future dreams and economic development of the country.

The outreach would include educational activities coupled with law enforcement aimed at saving the youth population by reaching out to them on road safety issues through workshops, organisational visitations and kgotla meetings.

The Commissioner said the campaign would also engage the youth in road safety related activities and encourage them to incorporate road safety awareness as an integral part of their agenda at various associations, clubs and organisations.

Promotion of active collaboration, Mr Makgophe said, was also crucial with other road safety stakeholders in advocating for good road user behaviour by the youth.

He cited bad driver attitude as the main cause of road traffic accidents in the country.

Some of the risky behaviour, he said, was speeding, misculculated  overtaking, disregard of road rules, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, fatigue and driver distractions by use of cell phones while driving.

The Commissioner urged the youth to readily avail themselves and take full advantage of the arranged activities for a better Botswana.

However, he said the operation remained a collective responsibility, encouraging everyone to rise to the occasion and help promote responsible use of road by the youth.

“The operation will be subjected to continuous evaluation to ensure continued relevance and maximum impact,” he added.

Representing the youth, Botswana National Youth Council board member Mr Tshenolo Palai emphasised that the youth were a critical stakeholder in reducing road accidents, adding that changing their mindset and not repeating wrongs of the past would help.

Mr Palai said one contributing factor was increased car ownership among the youth as compared to the olden days due to prospering economy.

He said the use of cell phones while driving was worsening nowadays with the advent of social media.

 Lack of time management, Mr Palai said was one factor leading to road accidents as people tended to almost always in the rush.

He urged youth to avoid unnecessary competition on the roads as some had made it a norm to compete with speed, adding that local road were not designed for such activities, which in most cases led to horrific accidents.

For his part, director at the Department of Transport Mr Bokhutlo Modukanele pointed out that the attainment of this goal was only possible if people could police themselves.

Mr Modukanele said the youth were the solution to their own problems because they know the reason why they speed on the roads and disobeying road traffic laws and regulations.

He applauded the organisers of the programme, adding that their energies would not go to waste as the ministry would be available every step of the campaign. ENDS