The Zambia Police Service has disclosed that 597 people were killed in 8,919 road traffic accidents recorded country wide during the third quarter of 2022.
The latest road traffick accidents shows an increase in both number of accidents and fatalities recorded last year in the same period.
In the third quarter of 2021, 585 people were killed in 8,059 road accidents recorded by Police in the third quarter.
Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga has confirmed that 1,583 persons were seriously injured in 8,919 road traffic accidents recorded country wide during the third quarter of 2022.
Mr. Hamoonga said in the third quarter of 2022, Police recorded an increase in both fatal road traffic accident and persons killed by 33 and 12 respectively.
He said most of the accidents in the third quarter of 2022 were attributed to human error.
Mr. Hamoonga cited excessive speed which caused 1,466 accidents representing 16.4% and misjudging clearance distance which accounted for 1,366 accidents representing 15.3 % as the top two human errors.
He said road accidents were increasing due to low compliance levels on the part of most road users especially the motorists, motor cyclists and pedal cyclists.
“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 in 2021.502 were recorded as fatal road traffic accidents in which 597 persons were killed, compared to 469 recorded in 2021 were 585 persons were killed, 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. 1,644 were recorded as slight road traffic accidents in which 2,447 persons were slightly injured compared to 1,511 recorded in 2021 were 2,216 persons were slightly injured and 5, 854 were recorded as Damage Only road traffic accidents compared to 5,323 recorded in 2021.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,” Mr. Hamoonga said.
The Police Spokesperson revealed that Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents with 4,767 representing 53.4% followed by Copperbelt with 1,392 representing 15.6% and Central with 710, representing 7.9% in that order.
Mr. Hamoonga added that Muchinga Province recorded the lowest number of road accident that stood at 199 representing 2.2%.
“Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents with 4,767 representing 53.4% followed by Copperbelt with 1,392 representing 15.6%, Central with 710, representing 7.9%, Southern with 509 representing 5.7%, North Western with 353, representing 3.9%, Eastern with 334 representing 3.7%, Luapula with 236 representing 2.6% Northern with 210 representing 2.4%, Western with 209 representing 2.6% and Mchinga Province with 199 representing 2.2%,” Mr. Hamoonga said.
He said Police collected K 14,489,842.00 as admission of guilty fines from road accidents.
“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. The figure shows an increase in Admission of Guilty fines by K 713,929.00. Most of the accidents in the third quarter of 2022 were attributed to human error as indicated below; Excessive speed 1,466 representing 16.4%.Misjudging clearance distance 1,366 representing 15.3 %.Failing to keep to nearside 1,334 representing 14.9%.Cutting in 654 representing 7.3%.Reversing negligently 615 representing 6.8 %,” he said.
Mr. Hamoonga concluded:”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.Lusaka province has continued recording the highest number of road traffic accidents because it has high volume of motor vehicles and human population compared to other provinces.”
Some of the major road accidents in the last three months were recorded in Lusaka and Northern Provinces in which over 30 people died in just two accidents.
21 women from the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) died in a road traffic accident on 19th September in Nsama district on their way from attending a church conference.
Around 01:00 hours, a road traffic crash occurred on Nsama/Nsumbu Road in Nsama District of the Northern Province involving a Mitsubishi Canter,which was ferrying congregants of the UCZ, the WCF.
The congregants were returning from a
special church gathering consistory conference,which was held at Munwa Village in Nsama District of the Northern Province.
Preliminary investigations, indicated that the driver lost control as he was descending the Chaushi Hill, a few kilometres before Nsumbu.
Meanwhile, 11 people were killed in Lusaka on September 24 when a Hiace Minibus due to excessive speed lost control on the University of Zambia (UNZA) road junction along Great East Road and hit into a Zambia National Service (ZNS) truck.
10 of the deceased persons are said to have died on the spot, while one of them died at Levy Mwanawasa Hospital.
