Rwanda National Police (RNP) launched a sustained road safety campaign on Monday, focusing on safe usage of crosswalks.

The countrywide campaign aims to promote pedestrian rights and preventing over speeding.

Speeding is cited as one of the main causes of traffic accidents around the world and the leading cause of fatalities in Rwanda.

The campaign will see, every morning and evening, Police officers engaging different road users on highways across the country on safety usage of road, particularly on respect to pedestrian rights.

On the first day of the campaign on Monday, Police officers took to major routes in the City of Kigali.

Senior Supt. Jean Marie Ndushabandi, the Spokesperson for Traffic and Road Safety department, said the campaign will be conducted throughout the year to "influence behavioural change."

"Officers will be deployed across all roads with roadside check points educating drivers and pedestrians, more especially on rules regulating crossing lines and observing traffic lights,” Ndushabandi said.

He appealed to all road users to support the campaign by heeding the call.

"It starts with individual behaviours. As law enforcement agencies, we can do as much as we can; we can arrest or penalize people violators, impound automobiles but the important factor we're trying to ensure that all road users as become responsible and respect every bit of road safety standards," he explained.

Ndushanbandi said human factors such as drunkenness, carelessness, disregard for road signs and speeding largely contributed up to 97 per cent of accidents.

He call for respect for Police flags and instructions, and urged passengers to report errand drivers who put their lives in danger.

editorial@newtimesrwanda.com