Zimbabwe is boosting efforts to reduce the number of deaths on its national roads. Fatalities have soared in recent years. Stakeholders are now rethinking the laws and regulations of road usage and safety.
Reducing road accidents is a concern across the globe. In Zimbabwe, the rainy season is about to start – the deadliest time of the year to be on the road.
Authorities have sped up efforts to re-gazette road laws and regulations. They are hoping to align the laws with World Health Organisation regulations issued back in 2004.
Driver error is the biggest cause of accidents in the country, but vehicle maintenance and bad roads also play a role.
Recently a stakeholder consultation meeting was held in Harare to discuss the overhaul of traffic regulations. Among the recommendations from the meeting was a ban on importing vehicles more than five years old and an age restriction for the transport sector.
With 2000 deaths and 10,000 injuries reported each year it’s crucial Zimbabwe tackles the problem and fast.
