30 May 2019

Young drivers in Mahalapye have been urged to be responsible and cautious while on the road.

North Central region divisional traffic officer, Assistant Commissioner Pelontle Kesupile said youth drivers must abide by road and safety regulations so as to combat road accidents.

Officiating at the Youth Drivers Outreach Programme organised by Mahalapye police,  Assistant Commissioner Kesupile said young people aged between 18 and 40 years accounted for a larger per cent of road traffic accidents resulting in serious injuries and deaths.

 It was therefore important to empower them with knowledge that encouraged caution on the road.

Assistant Commissioner Kesupile said in 2016, road accidents resulted in 450 casualties of which 268 or 59 per cent were youth.

In 2017, 444 road accidents claimed 247 lives and 55.6 per cent were young people.

In 2018, 462 lives were lost  and 251 or 54.3 per cent were youth.

He noted that some of the accidents that claimed lives could have been avoided had the drivers been cautious.

Speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, distraction from using mobile phones while driving and misconduct of pedestrians were some of the causes of road accidents.

Kgosi Duncan Segotsi of Mahalapye said the workshop was prompted by reckless behavior on the road.

He took a swipe at parents who allowed their children to drive without licences and urged the youth to desist from drunken driving. Ends