ZAMBIA has recorded an increase in the number of road traffic accidents recorded in the third quarter of the year, in which 597 people died compared in 2021 were 585 persons died.
In a statement, Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said during the third quarter of 2022, a total number of 8,919 road traffic accidents were recorded country wide compared to 8,059 recorded in the same period last year.
Mr Hamoonga said 502 were recorded as fatal road traffic accidents in which 597 persons were killed, compared to 469 recorded in 2021 were 585 persons were killed.
He said 919 were serious road traffic accidents in which 1,583 persons were seriously injured compared to 756 road traffic accidents recorded in 2021 out of which 1,345 persons were seriously injured.
“In the third quarter of 2022, we recorded an increase in both fatal road traffic accident recorded and persons killed by 33 and 12 respectively, on serious only road traffic accidents we also recorded an increase in both number of accidents and persons seriously injured by 143 and 128 while in slight only road traffic accidents we recorded an increase in both the number of accidents recorded and slightly injured persons by 133 and 231 respectively,” he said.
Mr Hamoonga said Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents with 4,767 representing 53.4 percent followed by Copperbelt with 1,392 representing 15.6 percent while Central with 710, representing 7.9 percent.
Meanwhile, a total sum of K 14,489,842.00 was collected as Admission of Guilty fines in the third quarter of 2021 as compared to K 15,203,771.00 collected in the same period of 2022.
He said the figure shows an increase in Admission of Guilty fines by K 713,929.00.
Mr Hamoonga said most of the accidents in the third quarter of 2022 were attributed to human error such as excessive speed, misjudging clearance distance and failing to keep to nearside, among others.
“There has been an increase in road traffic accidents recorded in the third quarter of 2022 as compared to the third quarter of 2021. The increase is attributed to low compliance levels on the part of most road users especially the motorists, motor cyclists and pedal cyclists as indicated in causes of accidents,” he said.
(Mwebantu, Thursday, 13th October, 2022)