26 Nov 2018

Botswana Police Services’ youth drivers outreach programme was launched in Francistown recently under the tagline: Ke Tsa Tshwetso.

The objective of the programme was to reduce road fatalities among young people, to sensitise young drivers against driving when tired, to rest well before long drives and recognising that fatigue reduced reaction time as well as wearing seatbelts.

The main launch took place on October 17 in Gaborone before it was rolled out to other parts of the country.

In her keynote address, divisional commander north, Ms Cynthia Setilo, said the intention was to have conversations with young drivers, to appeal to their souls and conscience, to urge them to be responsible drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

According to the BPS statistics, young people between the ages of 18-40 were vulnerable to accidents resulting in serious injuries and or death.

“In the year 2016, 450 people lost their lives through road traffic accidents countrywide. Of this figure, 268 representing 59.5 per cent were the youth. In the succeeding year, we recorded 444 road accidents deaths where 247 people representing 55.6 per cent, were youth. In the northern division, for the period of 1st January 1 to November 21, 2018, we have already recorded 77 road traffic deaths, and of these, 51 were aged 40 and below,” Ms Setilo said.

Road accidents, she explained, were caused by speeding, driver distraction by use of cell phones, dangerous overtaking, disregard for road rules, pedestrian misconduct and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Against this backdrop, she said the Botswana Police Service came up with the programme, whose primary intention was to avert the threats.

A road traffic accident victim, Mr Thanolo Olatotse narrated how he and four others were involved in an accident in 2014 between Francistown and Tonota.

He said he  was driving while drunk, without a licence and using a cellphone.

The victim told of how, though all the occupants of the vehicle survived, he sustained serious injuries and was in a coma for sometime.

He said he had since recovered and was now more conscious of the dangers of reckless driving and had since quit alcohol and resorted to living a quiet Christian lifestyle.

Deputy district coordinator at Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development in Francistown, Mr Caiphus Kopelang, said the programme would inspire his ministry to come up with youth oriented road safety initiatives that would help them expand their mandate.

“Some youth lose lives to road accidents that could have been avoided if they reduced their loud music when driving, control their emotions and tone down on road rage,” he said. ENDS