Traffic accidents on the decrease - Police

• Overall crimes down by 14% KIGALI - Rwanda National Police has reported a decrease in the number of road accidents in March compared to February. Statistics made public by the traffic chief, Superintendent Robert Niyonshuti during a press briefing on Thursday, indicate that road accidents that occurred in February were 186 while 163 took place in March . “This clearly indicates that there is a general decrease in the accidents,” said Niyonshuti. According to the figures, road fatalities recorded have also gone down from 52 in February to 44 in March. “In February, 25 people died in road accidents while in March accidents claimed 20 lives.” Those involved in the accidents were mostly pedestrians followed by bicycle riders and motorcyclists. Statistics analysts say that the decrease in the number of traffic accidents recorded indicate that the causes of accidents have also gone down. The Director of Community Policing Chief Supt. Emmanuel Butera said, “Through community policing, we are training pedestrians on how to use the road and obey the sign-posts.” During the same press briefing, the acting Commissioner General of Police, Mary Gahonzire said that crime in the country had gone down by 14 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the last quarter of 2008.” She however did not reveal the number of crimes committed and said that most cases recorded by the police include drugs, cases of people fighting, robbery and child sexual abuse, among others. Ends