01 Sep 2019

In an effort to engender a paradigm shift in young people so that they are not perpetrators but a solution to road accidents, Botswana Police Service in Ghanzi recently launched a youth drivers outreach programme. 

Delivering the keynote address at the launch, assistant commissioner Mr Ophemetse Mashiqa said young people had not only been victims but were also perpetrators hence the theme; Cultivating Responsible Use of Roads by the Youth; leaders of tomorrow. 

Mr Mashiqa said the common cause of road accidents among the youth was risky behaviour on the road. 

“At such an active age, youth experiment with speed, recklessly overtake and do not obey road signs,” he said. 

He said over zealousness coupled with the use of alcohol and drugs while driving had cost the nation the loss of many young lives noting that the youth, accounting for 60 per cent of the country’s population, also accounted for a large number of road accidents. 

In 2016, he said, the country recorded a total of 450 causalities, 268 of them youth whereas in 2017, a total of 444 fatalities were recorded out of which 247 were young people. 

Mr Mashiqa said in the Ghanzi policing district, there were 15 fatalities in 2016, six of them youth,16 fatalities in 2017, nine of them youth while from January to date, six lives had been lost out of which four were youth. 

He appealed for concerted efforts from all stakeholders including those dealing with behavioural change issues and those involved in road safety matters. 

“We are approaching independence holidays and the excitement that comes with the season might cultivate hyper and zealous youth behaviour and abuse of alcohol which sets the ground for the possibility of higher road carnage,” he cautioned. 

The objective of the campaign, he said, was to reach out to youth and to engage them on road safety issues on different platforms as well as to encourage them to mainstream and incorporate road safety awareness as an integral part of their agenda in club, association and organisational activities. 

A Society of Road Safety Ambassadors representative, Mr Maatla Otsogile, said the youth’s attitude on the road posed danger not only to themselves but to other road users. 

Mr Otsogile said in addition to being risk takers and show-offs, the youth’s ‘it wound not happen to me attitude’ worsened the situation.  In addition, he said right of way mentality had taken many drivers’ lives adding that the use of earphones by pedestrians was also hazardous conduct. 

For her part, Ms Emeldah Diale of Motor Vehicle Accident fund said the organisation’s wish was to see road safety education being part of the school curriculum saying it was important to teach pupils about the issue at a tender stage. BOKHUTLO