During the year 2021, a total number of 32,372 road traffic accidents were recorded countrywide, in which 1,757 were fatal road traffic accidents of which 2,163 persons were killed, 2,988 were serious road traffic accidents in which 5,307 persons were seriously injured, 6,231 were Slight road traffic accidents in which 9,182 persons were slightly injured while 21,396 were recorded as Damage Only road traffic accidents.

Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents with 17,774, followed by Copperbelt with 5,105, Central with 2,710, Southern with 1,689 North Western with 1,193, Eastern with 1,151, Luapula with 779, Western with 735, Mchinga with 622 and lastly Northern Province with 614 road traffic accidents.

In comparison with the year 2020, 28,484 road traffic accidents were recorded as compared to 32,372 road traffic accidents which were recorded in 2021. The figures show an increase in road traffic accidents by 3,888.

In 2020,1,404 were recorded as fatal road traffic accidents in which 1,690 persons were killed as compared to 1,757 fatal road traffic accidents where 2,163 persons were killed in 2021. The record shows an increase in both fatal road traffic accidents by 353 and in persons killed by 473.

2,783 were recorded as serious road traffic accidents in 2020 where 4,427 persons were seriously injured as compared to 2,988 serious road traffic accidents where 5307 persons were seriously injured in 2021. The figures show an increase in serious road traffic accidents by 205 while 880 in persons seriously injured.

5,729 were recorded as slight road traffic accidents in which 8,170 persons were slightly injured in 2020 as compared to 6,231 slight road traffic accidents where 9,182 persons were slightly injured in 2021. The figures represent an increase in both slight road traffic accidents and persons slightly injured by 502 and 1,012 respectively.

On damage only road traffic accidents, 18,568 were recorded as damage only road traffic accidents in 2020 as compared to 21,396 recorded in 2021 which shows an increase in Damage Only road traffic accidents by 2,828.
In addition, K45,
844,721.00 was collected as admission of guilt fines in 2020 compared to K55, 277,887.00 collected in 2021 as admission of guilt fines and K9, 433,166.00 was recorded as an increase in the admission of guilt fines.

Most of the accidents were attributed to human error as follows:
• 4,829 were accidents recorded as a result of Excessive speed representing 14.9%
• 4,696 were accidents recorded as a result of misjudging clearance distance representing 14.5%
• 4,636 were caused as a result of Failing to keep to the near side representing 14.3%
• 2,680 were cutting in representing 8.2% and 2,046 were Reversing negligently representing 6.3%

Rae Hamoonga
ZAMBIA POLICE SERVICE SPOKESPERSON