Source: Numerous roadblocks cause accidents: Traffic expert – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 13, 2017
An international road expert and former regional traffic safety officer for Matabeleland has expressed concern at the high number of road accidents on the country’s highways leading to loss of lives.
BY SHARON SIBINDI/TALENT GUMPO
Michael Meki told Southern Eye yesterday he was very concerned about the high incidents of road traffic accidents, mostly caused by speeding, reckless driving, drunken driving, incompetence and unlicensed driving.
“There is the other psychological part of human beings, which is not addressed, which has also come in recent years. Drivers are being frustrated from one point to the other, as the number of police roadblocks in Zimbabwe are too much,” he said.
“Zimbabwe now looks like a roadblock-infested country. This is very bad. In driving, a person must do it very happily and consciously. Where one is frustrated, one does not concentrate on their driving because driving is a full-time job which needs one’s mind to be fully directed to the driving task.”
Meki said a 100m distance from one roadblock to the other does not allow one’s mentality to function well.
“I am not saying the roadblocks should not be there, but they should be reasonable. People now know that even if I don’t have a licence, I will just pay the policeman and pass. That has injected a wrong philosophy about driving in Zimbabwe. So, all the accidents that we see, are a result of frustration and lack of concentration,” he said.
Meki said police officers, who man roadblocks, should be retrained to desist from frustrating drivers.
“Police officers, who man roadblocks do not have the training that will make them take policies seriously. They do not take policies seriously. Overloaded vehicles pass through roadblocks daily, but overloading is one of the major causes of accidents,” he said. “Police allow public transport like buses to pass through roadblocks carrying abnormal loads.”
The expert said drivers knew they could bribe police officers at roadblocks and incompetent drivers have taken over the roads, leading to accidents.
Meki said the police force must introduce a college that will produce trained road traffic safety officers, acquainted with road traffic safety rules and regulations in order to minimise the number of road accidents in the country.
According to the former road traffic safety council regional manager, education in road traffic safety is essential in reducing the number of accidents on the roads.
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