•A road safety study covering the period 2008 to 2013 indicated that the number of accidents in Zambia had almost doubled.

By CHARLES SIMENGWA –

THE chant “cage unruly drivers” has become a regular feature of the daily news in Zambia, reminding everyone of the rising motorist and pedestrian fatalities on the roads countrywide.
But a team of volunteers in Ndola, on the Copperbelt, is promoting education, sensitisation and awareness as a reliable method of reducing road traffic accidents.
This is another way to reinforce the fact that retributive justice is not the only solution to the rising accident statistics in the country.
The concept of retributive justice has been used in a variety of ways, but it is best understood as a form of justice that encourages, among other principles, punishing those who commit certain kinds of wrongful acts.
The idea of retributive justice has played a dominant role in theorising about punishment over the past few decades, but many features of it remain contested and problematic.
Therefore, punishment should run side by side with the promotion of preventive measures.
An ineffective approach to such delicate matters as bringing down road traffic accidents may represent vanity.
The volunteers in Ndola are under the Zambian Road Safety Trust (ZRST), a not-for-profit organisation which seeks to create awareness on road safety and contribute towards decreasing of road traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities.
ZRST has set its mission on changing the culture of Zambian road users and authorities to one of awareness of, passion for and genuine commitment to, road safety.
The Trust is structured as a company limited by guarantee and operates under the stewardship of a board of directors.
The board is responsible for the overall direction of the organisation’s programmes and its business operations, and is governed by the Articles of Association in its work.
It is composed of a diverse group of community members who bring passion, commitment, skills and expertise to ensure successful implementation of the vision of the Trust.
Part of the mission of the Trust is to research, advocate, develop and promote standards for road safety initiatives and programmes.
The Trust was officially launched on April, 26, 2014 in Lusaka by Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications, Yamfwa Mukanga.
As the roads become increasingly choked with traffic, roadway rudeness is almost reaching its zenith, especially in densely-populated cities like Lusaka, Kitwe, and Ndola.
It appears drivers, particularly of public service vehicles, are all in a race, although nobody knows where it ends.
In the face of the soaring motor vehicle population and a road network that has remained largely unchanged for many years, it is not uncommon to see drivers tormenting one another with little, or no, regard for traffic rules.
Consider this: Back in 2008, the Zambia Revenue Authority estimated that 50 second-hand vehicles were being imported per day through the port of Durban in South Africa alone.
One has to think of the other entry points such as Nakonde, on the border with Tanzania, through which many other vehicles are brought into the country.
It is not surprising that seven years on, Zambia has become what some observers have described as an “automobile jungle”.
While owning a car is no longer a luxury, as many people can now afford to buy one, there are consequences arising from still having fewer and constricted roads, with a low vehicle carrying capacity.
Add this to the illegalities in obtaining driving licences, the mess on the roads increases in volume.
A road safety study covering the period 2008 to 2013 indicated that the number of accidents in Zambia had almost doubled.
The study showed that the rate of accidents had continued to rise at approximately nine per cent per annum, while the rate of fatalities had shot up to almost 10 per cent per year.
According to the study, which was presented by principal investigator Godfrey Biemba, the rise in the accidents was made possible by poor road infrastructure and human error.
Dr Biemba said the number of accidents rose by 48 per cent, from 19,727 in 2008 to 29,118 in 2013.
The major causes of accidents which were identified included misjudgement of distance, cutting in (lanes), reversing negligently, and speeding.
It was the view of the investigators that the measures being implemented to lower accidents appeared to be inadequate both in terms of scale and variety.
The study was conducted by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), the Zambia Centre for Allied Research Development, and the Zambia Police Service.
Health Minister Joseph Kasonde, during the presentation of the study findings, said it was important for the media to continuously alert members of the public on the consequences of road traffic accidents.
The ZRST has, similarly, attributed the escalating accidents and injuries to the high number of motor vehicles in the country.
Trust chairperson Daniel Mwamba said last October that Zambia ranked high on the global rate of deaths and injuries resulting from road traffic accidents.
Mr Mwamba expressed concern at the more than 2,000 fatalities in road accidents recorded annually.
He said the organisation, in partnership with Puma Energy Foundation and an international non-governmental organisation, Amend, would also embark on a road safety campaign aimed at improving child road safety in Zambia.
It is beyond dispute that some motorists are so inconsiderate that they go through the red light unconcerned about the dangers of doing so, while others keep darting in and out of the lanes just to get one more space ahead.
They cut across two or more lanes with the same blinker, if they use one at all, and they are quick at spewing insults at other drivers, or engaging in outbursts of profanities.
Speed is an issue not only on highways but in populous neighbourhoods, filled with children playing either across or on the roads.
There is also the troublesome habit of some motorists who drive while they are glued to their cell phones.
Sadly, this also applies to some pedestrians who would cross a road while reading messages or chatting on their mobile phones.
“This often arises from the false impression that as long as they are using a pedestrian crossing, one has unlimited freedom to behave as they please.
“But this is unfair to the drivers who are expected to maintain the ‘see, judge, and act’ rule at all times,” says George Chamatete, who is the ZRST Ndola Branch chairperson.
It is indeed unfair for the authorities to rush to punish motorists even if it is a pedestrian responsible for an undesirable situation.
Mr Chamatete, in an interview, said the Ndola chapter, which was launched in November, 2014, was working in partnership with RTSA, Zambia Police Service, the Copperbelt provincial administration, and health authorities.
He is currently leading a team of 166 volunteers drawn from different church denominations, political parties, and the formal and informal sectors.
Before they were commissioned to carry out this important task, the group members underwent training in first aid and other vital lessons on road safety.
They have distributed flyers on road safety to pedestrians and members of the general public, especially at major bus stations in Ndola, as they seek to roll out the programme to other towns on the Copperbelt.
The volunteers are seeking to work with teachers, psychosocial counsellors and corporate organisations in spreading messages on the importance of preventing accidents.
“We are using our own resources to do this, so we are appealing to organisations and individuals to come on board and assist in our operations.
“As first-aiders, we need reliable transport to reach an accident scene. We also need reflectors and T-shirts for easy identification,” Mr Chamatete said.
Part of the strategy, he said, would be to position some volunteers at the casualty unit of Ndola Central Hospital where they would assist in attending to accident victims.
There is evidence from a number of countries such as Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom which shows that dramatic successes in preventing road traffic injuries could be achieved through concerted efforts.
These countries have achieved steady declines in road traffic death rates through coordinated, multi-sectoral responses.
Such responses involve implementation of a number of proven measures that address not only the safety of the road user, but also vehicle safety, the road environment, and post-crash care.
It is good that the Lusaka fast track court for traffic offences has convicted over 1,000 motorists for abrogating road traffic regulations in the last three months.
According to RTSA senior public relations manager, Mercy Khozi-Mwila, 11 motorists are serving jail sentences for committing various traffic offences.
Ms Mwila said in a recent statement that over 89 per cent of road traffic accidents were as a result of human error, mostly resulting from drunken drivers, dangerous driving and speeding.
Dangerous driving was one of the highest offences recorded by RTSA, the evidence being 232 motorists who were convicted for the offence during the first quarter of 2015, while 127 drivers were convicted for unlicensed driving.
On the other hand, the fast track court on traffic offences has recorded a reduction in the number of motorists charged for drinking while driving.
It is encouraging that RTSA and the judiciary last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding to roll out the fast track courts for traffic offences.
The first phase of the programme will begin with Kitwe, Ndola, Chipata, Livingstone and Kabwe.
With such ambitious steps being taken to change road user behaviour, it is important to embrace the ZRST volunteers on the Copperbelt who have set out on an important mission to save lives, and need assistance to achieve their goals.