Slow down RTAs

THIS week has started with a very painful reminder of how speed kills. On Monday, the nation woke up to the heart wrenching news of the death of musician David Phiri commonly known as Daev Zambia – who perished along three others in a road traffic accident (RTA).
Yesterday, Zambia Police spokesperson, Esther Katongo confirmed the death of five people in a RTA in Luapula Province barely 24 hours after a bus had overturned killing 6 people.
The accident happened on Monday around 20 30 hours along Mansa- Samfya road, when an unregistered Toyota Harrier which was being driven by Taila Simpemba aged, 22, of Nakonde who was driving from South to Northern direction.
Ms Katongo said that when the driver reached Chief Chisunka area, he lost control of the motor vehicle due to excessive speeding.
She said the driver died on the spot and identified other deceased passengers as Jackson Nshinka aged 32, Morgan Kachemba aged five (05) years, another female juvenile Bridget Chishima and Amon Nshinka, aged 2 all of Kaputa District.
“The injured are in Mansa General Hospital being attended to and have been identified as Mary Chileya aged 22, male juvenile Reuben Musonda aged five (05) months, and Elija , other names not known aged 30.
“While the bodies of the deceased are in Mansa General Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem,” she said.
Over speeding is very often the major culprit and this has been confirmed in the Vida Logistics bus accident in which 6 people died and several sustained injuries.
A long-distance passenger bus collided head-on with a motorcycle on the Mwense road in Luapula province.
Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has said investigations indicated that the driver of the bus belonging to Beta Build Hardware was over speeding.
RTSA Head of Public Relations Frederick Mubanga said the bus, which had about 36 people on board, was coming from Nchelenge, en-route to Ndola on the Copperbelt.
Several other passengers sustained injuries, while the rider of the motorcycle was amongst the deceased.
Mr. Mubanga explained that preliminary investigations indicated that the driver of the bus was attempting to avoid a pothole, when he veered into the way of the motorcycle.
The temptation to cruise on the highway has caused many deaths. Passengers, drivers and pedestrians are not safe from RTAs.
Increasingly, reports of RTA are fatal and driver error is often the cause.
There is urgent need to take a more sober approach to operating vehicles and respecting the rules of driving.
Slogans such as ‘Arrive Alive’ come to mind in troubling times such as these.
People travel for work, school, social duty and leisure and it should never be a risk to be on the road.
All it requires is the correct mind-set of the drivers with the correct level of caution and attention to other road users.