1282 people killed on Zambia’s Roads by September 30th 2018 over 100 every month, let’s be safe this festival season

By Daniel Mwamba

(December 15th, 2018, Lusaka, ZAMBIA) – The latest road safety benchmarking report from the Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST) shows there were 127 lives saved in road fatalities in the first nine months of 2018.

The report finds that in the year to September 2018, 1,282 lives were lost on our roads, compared to 1,407 in 2017, about 127 fewer during the same period last year. However, it shows that still over 100 people are killed every month, and not enough progress is made to the 2020 target of a 50 per cent reduction in road deaths.

ZRST Chairman Daniel Mwamba said: “While ZRST commends government for the slight gains, but an issue that kills more than 100 Zambians every month and costs the economy K5 billion every year, deserves even more serious response from government and stakeholders.  The social cost of road deaths is both obvious and immeasurable; the economic implications of Zambia’s road safety crisis are not”.

Daniel Mwamba

Pedestrians and cyclists continue to make up almost 70 per cent of more than 2000 annual road deaths in Zambia. This is an unacceptably high number. Motorists must always be alert on the road and obey the rules. Similarly, pedestrians must make themselves visible, obey the rules of the road, and must not drink or take drugs and walk. Government must address the issues regarding pedestrian’s safety in particular safe roads for vulnerable road users.

ZRST is taking part in this year’s road safety week, which starts on Monday, joining the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and other stakeholders to raise awareness of road safety during this festival season.

The holiday season is filled with happiness and celebration, but it can also be a time of danger for road users. Last year over 20 people were recorded killed during the festival season; please do not be another statistic.It seems everyone is in a hurry trying to wrap up their shopping and enjoy festive celebrations. But as you’re dashing around town, it’s important to keep road safety top of mind, as the streets are busier and drivers are distracted by their holiday to-do lists.

All Zambians agree that even one road fatality is one too many and we need a strong, stakeholder approach to make real improvements in road safety. /End

About Us

The Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST), established in 2014, is a leading registered non-government road safety entity registration no: 101/0503/15. The Trust is a member of the Global Alliance of NGOs for road safety, seeks to create awareness on road safety issues in Zambia and contribute to reduce loss of life and injuries on Zambia’s roads. The Trust is an operational NGO, meaning we plan and carry out boots-on-the-ground projects to accomplish our objectives. This requires a great deal of careful planning, communication, and local involvement for each project.

Our goal as an organization is to accomplish the following: To priorities safety of  the most vulnerable road users, to advocate changes in national law to make roads, vehicles and drivers safer, to support the 50 percent reduction in road traffic death UN decade of Action 2020 target.

Daniel Mwamba

Media

Telephone/whatsapp: +26 0961475610 Telephone: +26 0953736461

Email address:info@zambianroadsafety.org

Email address for partners & corporate:corporate@zambianroadsafety.org

Mailos Mwale

ZRST Head of Communications

• mailos.mwale@zambianroadsafety.org
• +26 0953736461/+26 0974250838

Daniel Mwamba

Daniel Mwamba

ZRST Chairman

• daniel.mwamba@zambianroadsafety.org
• +26 0961475610 (whatsapp)

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