Editor,

I witnessed this horrific and needless accident. More needs to be done to slow down these drivers. Rwanda needs more pedestrian lanes on these steep roads, roadside stops for cars that get mechanical problems, harsher punishment for fast and irresponsible drivers, better education for the coaster drivers and harsher punishment on the companies that run the coasters.

Truck drivers need to be offered incentives for "slower, safer driving” and hourly compensation, which pushes for slower driving. There was another jack-knifed truck further down the road recently, which could have caused a similar fate.

Young people with great lives ahead of them were killed in this accident from stupid acts of some drivers. This is not only the fault of the drivers, but of our country as a whole. Culturally, we are allowing this to happen.

Fast and reckless driving is the mindset norm for many drivers. More needs to be done; let’s not let this happen again.

Jan Frank

Reaction to the story, "Five die, 15 injured in weekend accident” (The New Times, March 2)