Police has attributed last week’s accidents in different parts of the country to overspeeding and reckless driving. Six road accidents happened on July 11 leaving three people dead and 23 others injured. The injured were rushed to different hospitals for medical attention. Chief Inspector of Police (CIP), Emmanuel Kabanda, the spokesperson for traffic and Road Safety department, said most of the accidents were a result of overspeeding and careless driving. Police warned drivers against reckless driving that leads to costly and dangerous accidents. Two of the recorded accidents occurred in Nyarugenge and Kicukiro districts of Kigali City. Two other accidents happened in Muhanga and Kamonyi districts of Southern Province; while in the Western Province, two accidents happened in Ngororero and Nyabihu districts. Kabanda warned drivers to take extra precaution and respect traffic rules. “These were avoidable accidents if drivers hadn’t defied traffic rules; driving or riding requires complete alertness; therefore, acts like talking or texting on cell phones while driving are distractive and highly discouraged,” CIP Kabanda said. “People who are more observant are more likely to focus while driving and thus avoid accidents,” said CIP Kabanda. CIP Kabanda urged road users to partner with police by providing timely information through the use of toll free numbers; 112 for emergency services, 113 for road accidents and 3511 to report any malpractices. Police carries out regular outreach programmes for road users, including vehicle owners and motorcycle operators, to promote road safety initiatives and partnerships with the public through community policing. The annual road traffic week is geared towards enforcing road traffic rules and ultimately ensure road safety. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
