Police in Ruhango District, on Sunday, concluded a week-long sensitisation campaign on road safety standards as means to prevent road carnage. The campaign, which started on September 27, focused on giving road safety tips to road users, including drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, students and residents. The District Police Commander, Chief Inspector of Police Jean Bosco Ndayisabye, said that speeding, drunkenness, reckless driving, mechanical faults and using the phone while driving are some of the causes of accidents. At least 13 accidents happened in Ruhango between July and September. “In July, seven accidents occurred in Ruhango, leaving one person dead and four others injured; in August, five people lost their lives in the four accidents registered. In September there were two fatal accidents that claimed seven lives; however, since we launched the ‘traffic week’, no accident has happened and that’s how impactful the awareness has been,” the DPC said. “We engaged all parties, conducted awareness in schools and tutored the students on how best to use roads, the meaning of traffic signs and reminded motorists of their major role in promoting road safety,” CIP Ndayisabye said. Some of the schools that benefited from the week-long exercise include Ecole des Sciences Byimana, Ecole Technique de Mukingi, Groupe Scolaire Mukingi and G.S Munini. Motorists were in particular briefed on the rights of pedestrians, he said. “Whereas drivers play a bigger part in promoting road safety by abiding by traffic rules and regulations, pedestrians also have a duty to play by reporting reckless drivers or those who breach road safety standards and put lives of people at risk, which was also highlighted throughout the campaign.” The campaign ended with a friendly football match between the District Police Unit and commercial motorcyclists, which ended 3-1 in favour of Police. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
