Lusaka, Thursday, 20th August, 2015. Road Traffic figures analysed by the Zambian Road Safety Trust (ZRST) has noted a massive increase in the number of people Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) in road accidents in the past two years highlighting an insignificant impact of current strategies to reduce road accidents in Zambia.
1,000 people were killed in road traffic accidents in 2012, while 1,858 people were killed in 2014 representing a significant increase of 85 percent.
1,650 people sustained Serious Injuries in road traffic accidents in 2012, while 5,371 people were Seriously Injured in 2014 representing a massive increase of 225 percent.
2,000 people sustained minor injuries in 2012, while 7,706 people had minor injuries in 2014 representing an enormous increase of 285%.
And in the first 6 months of 2015, 1,028 people have been killed in road accidents, more than a total number of people killed in traffic accidents throughout 2012.
If the trend continues, traffic deaths this year could exceed 2,000 said Mr. Mailos Mwale, ZRST Press and Communications Manager.
“As a road safety professional, it’s not just disappointing but heartbreaking to see the numbers trending in the wrong direction,” he said.
“We want to call upon the private sector to play a role in reducing accidents by supporting accident preventative measures such as road safety education and knowledge transfer, publicity and awareness campaigns.
“Private companies can also sponsor road signs or reflective markings to enhance the visibility of vulnerable road users who represent over 50% of road traffic fatalities”.
Zambia’s government target is to reduce the number of people killed in road accidents by 50% by 2020.
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