Thirteen road accidents were registered across the country in the last three days, killing five people and injuring 11 others, police said on Wednesday.According to Police, most of the fatal accidents involved transit vehicles, some of which bear foreign plates.In a statement released on Wednesday, Police warned drivers against breaching traffic rules, which it said is responsible for the loss of lives.Supt. Jean Marie Ndushabandi, the spokesperson of the traffic and road safety department, said though the rate of road accidents has reduced, there are still drivers who drive carelessly leading to injuries and death.He outlined over speeding, negligence, driving while talking on phone and mechanical faults as some of the causes of accidents.He also pointed out that some drivers, especially those of transit vehicles drive long distances without rest, which makes them lose focus while driving.“Drivers who hit the road for days without rest become exhausted thus losing focus while on road,” Supt. Ndushabandi explained.He warned that stern action will be taken against any driver or road user caught violating traffic regulations.He appealed to owners of trucks to always have more than one driver for long journey.“It’s is in the interest of drivers to abide by the road precautions to spare their lives and those of their passengers,” he said. Police records show that accidents decreased from 943 in 2012 to 504, last year.The decrease, he noted, was due to the efforts invested in road safety awareness programmes, erecting more sign posts on hot spots and relative change of the attitudes of road users.
