08 Jul 2019

The Botswana Police Service (BPS) divisional commander south, Assistant Commissioner Omphemetse Mashiqa, has urged young people to be cautious while on the road.

Mr Mashiqa said majority of deaths from road accidents over the past three years were youth aged 18-40.

He explained that road accidents involving youth were in many cases caused by speeding, reckless overtaking and failure to obey road signs.

“This zealous behaviour coupled with the use of alcohol and drugs whilst driving have caused the nation a loss of many young lives,” said the assistant commissioner.

He was speaking in Lobatse during a recent launch of the Youth Drivers Outreach Programme at the No 4 Police District, which covers Lobatse, Goodhope and Ramatlabama policing areas.
 

“The youth account for a large number of road accidents resulting in serious injuries and fatalities. In 2016, the country recorded a total of 450 casualties, in which 268 were youth. In 2017, a total of 444 fatalities were recorded and out of that 247 were youth,” he said.

Mr Mashiqa said the district recorded 16 fatalities from road accidents of which four were youth in 2016, while 16 fatalities were also recorded in 2017 and eight were youth.

He added that 10 lives had been lost in the district from January 2019 to date and six were youth.

He said these statistics were a clear indication that young people were contributing to majority of road accidents.

He said a joint effort was required between police, youth and other stakeholders to address the problem.

“This now calls for action to uproot the cause of the problem or address it, or possibly come up with solutions which we will collaboratively implement to bring reduction to these numbers,” he added.

The objectives of the outreach programme were to engage the youth on road safety issues and to encourage them to incorporate road safety awareness in the agenda of their various organisations.

The programme launch was attended by representatives from youth organisations in the area as well as stakeholders in road safety issues.

A Department of Road, Transport and Safety official, Mr Amos Motshegwe, expressed concern that deaths and serious injuries due to road accidents had continued to increase in Botswana, despite authorities having implemented strategies on the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action on Road Safety programme.

He said the UN called on countries to implement measures to reduce deaths from road accidents by half from 2011 to 2020. Mr Motshegwe said statistics indicated that around 1.35 million people died annually from road accidents globally.

He pointed that involvement of all agencies dealing with road safety, more education on road safety and provision of safe road networks were some of the measures required to improve road safety.

Peleng Customary Court president, Mr Arnold Somolekae, said road traffic offences were among the leading court cases in Botswana.

He called for stringent measures to be taken against perpetrators of road traffic offences such as jailing of drivers who repeatedly disobey road signs.

He also said tough measures should be taken against drivers who broke the road laws and thereafter disrespected police officers. ENDS