Road accidents leave 100 people dead in a month.

At least 100 people died in road accidents and 138 were injured in one month, police have reported.

 

However, the force maintains that the rate of road accidents can be contained if members of the public cooperate with traffic police and other authorities by observing traffic regulations and reporting offenders.

 

Speaking to journalists yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Traffic Commander Mohamed Mpinga specified that the said number of deaths and injuries occurred between March 11 and April 12 this year.

 

Mpinga went on to blame drivers and bus owners for not being collaborative saying bus owners and drivers are to blame for the increase of accidents and accused them of disregarding human lives for profit.

 

He said sometime a driver can be forced to speed so that he can arrive on time as result he ends up causing accident due to reckless driving and when arrested their owners bail them out.

 

He however noted that Tanzania National Road Agency (TANROADS) should also rehabilitate road infrastructures to allow smooth movement of the vehicles.

 

Mpinga said that in efforts to curb the accidents the traffic police have started to revoke the licenses of drivers who will  cause accidents and they will not be allowed to engage themselves in the business again.

 

The drivers should be carefully when they   overtake other vehicles and thus they will be able to avoid unnecessary road accidents, he said.  

 

He called upon passengers to report immediately to the responsible authorities in cases of  drunk  and reckless driving.

 

“We have proposed some amendments of laws which will increase penalties to reckless drivers… if enacted  will help to curb the problem,” he said.

 

Eighteen people were burnt to death and eleven others severely injured when a passenger bus collided with a truck last Sunday and police say the driver of the bus was to blame for reckless driving.SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN