The road safety campaign Police launched a fortnight ago continued, yesterday, with the Force leadership, commissioners and senior officers taking to the streets and highways to preach road safety. The move is aimed at reaching out to all road users to learn and respect road safety rules and regulations so as to curb road accidents. The month-long campaign runs under the theme, “Know and Respect Traffic Rules to Save Lives.” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, who was on the eastern axis, carried out vehicle-to-vehicle inspection, giving road safety tips to drivers and passengers, and urged each to play a role to ensure that road safety standards are observed. IGP Emmanuel K. Gasana speaking to cyclists. / Courtesy “Don’t allow to be transported by a drunk driver; when it comes to safety, each one of you is responsible for your own life and also for that of others. When a driver is using a phone, speeding or driving recklessly, it’s your life they are putting in danger,” IGP Gasana told passengers in Rugende along Kigali-Rwamagana highway. “It is as well your responsibility to provide an accident free environment. We urge you to learn about and respect road safety standards in order to achieve that target.” Gasana also addressed pedestrians, motorcyclists, drivers and cyclists. Pedestrians are the leading cause or victims of road accidents, according the latest road accidents report, accounting for 46 per cent of those killed between August and October this year. At least 21 per cent of the 254 serious injuries registered between August and October involved pedestrians. “Accidents hamper national development when human resources are lost. Unfortunately, many people are losing their lives while others are incapacitated by accidents caused by recklessness. We can prevent these if we all use the road responsibly,” IGP Gasana said. He urged pedestrians to always use walkways, keep left, ensure maximum vigilance when crossing roads and use zebra-crossing. He also appealed to passengers to always call the Police whenever they feel a driver is putting their lives in danger. The Police chief also distributed flyers containing road safety messages to pedestrians, passengers, cyclists and motorists, and put stickers on automobiles. In the northern axis, the Deputy IGP in charge of administration and personnel, Juvenal Marizamunda, also tutored passengers on their role in preventing road accidents. “Learning and respecting road safety rules is a collective responsibility because we all use roads, if we don’t use them properly we end up causing accidents,” Marizamunda told road users in Shyorongi. Meanwhile, commissioners and senior officers from the general headquarters reinforced territorial units in regions and districts. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
