08 Jul 2024

Greater Gaborone area continues to be the hotspot for road accidents due to the congestion of both people and vehicles.

This was revealed by Botswana Police Service deputy director of traffic division, Assistant Commissioner Christopher Ndlovu during the 2024 MVA Fund Safe Mobility Cycling Campaign in Gaborone on Saturday.

He said areas of most concern were Mogoditshane, Ramotswa and Gaborone followed by outer Gaborone areas such as Kanye and Molepolole.

He also noted that the country had so far recorded 142 fatalities this year, 47 of which involved pedestrians.

“Most fatalities occur as a result of personal attitudes and poor relationships between motorists and pedestrians,” he said.

He said it was concerning that the fatalities occurred before busy periods such as the long July holidays as well as the festive season.

“These periods naturally register high rates of fatalities because of high traffic, both human and vehicles,” he said

Furthermore, Mr Ndlovu also said they had observed that most accidents occurred at weekends in areas adjacent to entertainment centres such as bars and that young adults were the most involved.

He advised parents to instill road safety awareness into their children at an early age.

For her part, BIHL group executive for human capital and culture,  Ms Neo Ndwapi said BotswanaLife spent millions per month in death claims from road accidents.

She added that motor vehicle accidents were among the top seven causes of death.

In her welcome remarks, MVA Fund board chairperson, Dr Boitumelo Mokgatla urged pedestrians and cyclists to adhere to basic safety precautions such as using the correct side of the road for walking and cycling and wearing reflective clothing, especially at night.

She said the cycling campaign targeted awareness among cyclists and pedestrians as they formed a high number of road traffic fatalities.

The campaign was under the theme: Be Seen, Be Safe, Your Life Matters. Ends