Road accidents seen decreasing

INTRODUCTION of a six-month campaign which is aimed at reducing the road carnage rate by 10 percent has surpassed the limit by 18 percent in two months time, the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Hamad Yusuf Masauni, has said.

Mr Masauni told a news conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday that an evaluation was carried out two months before and after implementation had began and discovered the occurrence of 577 accidents before the program and 471 after the program.

“In comparison statistics shows a decrease of 106 accidents which is equivalent to 18 percent and in the same instance the number of deaths had gone down from 467 to 376 -- a difference of 91 deaths,” said Mr Masauni.

On the other hand, the number of injured people had gone down from 810 to 496 people, showing a decrease of 314 victims which is equivalent to 39 percent. Mr Masauni noted 200 accidents related to motorcyclists before the program and 170 accidents after the program thereby making a difference of 30 accidents which is equal to 15 percent. “Deaths resulting from the accidents had decreased from 124 to 118 which shows a difference of six deaths equivalent to 5 percent,” he noted.

He pointed out that at least 135 injured people had been identified before the program and after the program the number had gone down to 113, which is equivalent to 16 percent.

The Deputy Minister also noted an increase in the number of traffic offences committed by motor vehicle owners in the same period, whereas 324,284 offences were identified before the program and 393,728 during implementation.

“This shows an increase of 69,444 traffic offences which is equivalent to 21 percent,” noted the Deputy Minister. For motorcyclists, the number of offences had gone up from 59,777 to 69,050 an increase of 9,273 offences which is equal to 16 percent between the two months.

Awareness on the use of roads was raised through 23 television programmes, 1,883 radio programmes and 311 Bodaboda stations whereas 18,892 motorcyclists were educated on the importance of road safety. However, awareness was also raised in 104 primary schools situated along the highways of which 477 lessons on the importance of road safety was taught to 8,081 students.

Mr Masauni said on the issue of law enforcement, about 377 drivers were taken to task for various offences whereby 183 drivers had been taken to court of which 40 were sentenced, 154 drivers fined and 35 driver’s licenses revoked.

He pointed out that 1,775 drivers took the alcohol test and 76 had exceeded the required limit as per the requirement of the law. “About 24, 356 drivers were arrested for high speed, 4,562 reckless driving and all were taken to task in accordance with the law,” said Mr Masauni.

The licenses of 20,053 drivers were inspected of which 2,836 had been found to have expired and barred until their renewal. Vehicle inspection was also carried out and discovered 23,955 vehicles had faults of which 294 vehicles were banned from use. Several bus owners were taken to task for failure to observe Transportation and Traffic rules and regulations.

“Eleven bus companies had received serious warning for violation, one taken to court and 12 others banned from service,” he charged.

In ensuring implementation of the program, Mr Masauni said the National Roads Safety Council has established a special committee which will involve members of the council to make regular follow up in the region as well as improvise thorough investigation major accidents claiming the lives of a big number of people.

“The investigations will give room for proper action including serious measures against anyone who will be found to have caused an accident through reckless driving,” he stressed.