ZRST translates official crash statistics, government records, published research and programme evidence into practical intelligence for policy makers, journalists, donors, researchers, companies and communities.
2025 Full-Year Official Data
Zambia Police Service Annual Road Traffic Accident Report 2025
The figures below are drawn from the Zambia Police Service annual road traffic accident report for 2025, confirmed by Zambia Police and published in January 2026. Year-on-year comparisons are against the 2024 Zambia Police annual report.
Total road traffic accidents recorded.
▲ 8.3% vs 35,731 in 2024Road deaths confirmed in 2025.
▲ 368 more deaths vs 2,199 in 2024Fatal accidents: crashes in which at least one person died.
▲ 264 more fatal crashes vs 1,804 in 2024Persons seriously injured.
▲ 1,247 more vs 5,798 in 2024Minor injuries recorded.
▲ 1,043 more vs 10,123 in 2024Total casualties: deaths and injuries combined.
Damage-only accidents with no bodily injury.
▲ vs 22,966 in 2024Road traffic offences recorded.
▲ 24.3% vs 146,432 in 2024Estimated annual economic cost of road traffic accidents to Zambia, equivalent to 4.7% of GDP. Source: UNDP / Ministry of Health Investment Case, 2023.
Preventable deaths projected over the next 30 years if current trends continue. Source: UNDP Zambia Road Safety Investment Case, 2023.
Return on investment modelled over 30 years for five core road safety interventions in Zambia. Source: UNDP Zambia Road Safety Investment Case, 2023.
Fatality profile by road user type
Of the 2,567 deaths recorded in 2025, the following road-user profile was confirmed by the Zambia Police Service. Pedestrians account for more than one in three road deaths.
Highest fatality group. Most affected in Lusaka Province.
Public and private passenger vehicle occupants.
Includes delivery riders and commuter motorcyclists.
Drivers of private and commercial vehicles.
Pillion riders and passengers on motorcycles.
Cyclists including commuters, workers and learners.
Source: Zambia Police Service Annual Report 2025, January 2026. Remaining deaths include bicycle passengers. Percentages calculated by ZRST from official figures.
Child Safety — 2025
1,493 child casualties
Children killed or injured on Zambia’s roads in 2025, confirmed by the Zambia Police Service. The majority were pedestrians and passengers.
Boys affected: 148 killed, 321 seriously injured and 397 slightly injured.
Girls affected: 95 killed, 233 seriously injured and 299 slightly injured.
Total child deaths: 243. Source: Zambia Police Service Annual Road Traffic Report 2025.
Provincial Distribution in 2025
Accidents by province
Lusaka Province recorded more than half of all road accidents nationally. Bar widths are proportional to Lusaka’s total.
Source: Zambia Police Service, January 2026.
Causes & Patterns — 2025
The Zambia Police Service confirmed that human error remained the leading cause of all road traffic accidents in 2025.
Leading causes confirmed by police
| Cause | Classification |
|---|---|
| Excessive speed | Primary cause |
| Misjudging clearance distance | Major cause |
| Failure to keep to the nearside | Major cause |
| Disobeying traffic signs or signals | Major cause |
Accident distribution by day of week
| Day | Accidents | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | 6,882 | Highest |
| Saturday | 6,249 | Very high |
| Sunday | 5,582 | High |
| Thursday | 5,462 | Moderate |
| Wednesday | 5,157 | Moderate |
| Tuesday | 4,844 | Lower |
| Monday | 4,536 | Lowest |
Research Products
ZRST collects, analyses and publishes road safety data to support government, donors, councils and the private sector. The following products are available or in development.
| Research product | What it delivers | Primary users | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterly Crash Briefs | Deaths, serious injuries, child casualties, provincial distribution and causes with year-on-year comparisons based on Zambia Police quarterly reports. | Media, government, donors | Published |
| Q1 2026 Road Safety Briefing | 681 deaths recorded in Q1 2026, representing a 36.7% year-on-year increase. Full analytical brief with systemic failure analysis. | Policy makers, funders | Published |
| Safe School Corridor Assessments | iRAP-rated infrastructure audits, speed compliance data and before/after documentation for school-zone interventions in Lusaka, Ndola and Kitwe. | Councils, FIA Foundation, education donors | Ongoing |
| Fleet Safety Audits | Bronze/Silver/Gold certification assessments under the ZRST Fleet Safety Standard. Vehicle checks, route risk, incident review and driver records. | Corporate fleet operators, insurers | Commercial rollout |
| Issue Factsheets | One-page verified briefs on pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycles, school zones, speed management and post-crash care. | Journalists, parliamentarians | In development |
| NMT Corridor Studies | Walking and cycling route-risk assessments for Lusaka and secondary cities, supporting the national Non-Motorised Transport Strategy. | RDA, Lusaka City Council, GIZ, UNDP | In development |
| MSc Research in Spinal Injury Mortality | Retrospective cross-sectional study of traumatic spinal injury mortality at the University Teaching Hospital with UNZA. | UTH, Ministry of Health, academic partners | In progress |
ZRST is a co-researcher in the EU Horizon TRANS-SAFE programme, Grant Agreement 101069525, alongside international transport safety research partners.
Data Integrity
ZRST distinguishes official Zambia Police reported figures from WHO estimates, research papers and programme monitoring data. This discipline is essential for media trust, donor confidence and government credibility.
Annual Road Traffic Accident Report 2025
Primary source for 2025 crash, fatality, injury and offence statistics used on this page.
View sourceZambia Road Safety Investment Case, 2023
Economic cost, 30-year projections and return-on-investment modelling for five priority interventions.
Download PDFQ1 2026 Road Safety Briefing
Analytical road safety briefing based on Zambia Police quarterly reporting and ZRST interpretation.
View ZRST data pageGovernment Measures to Reduce Road Traffic Accidents
Documents implementation gaps and data-quality weaknesses in government road safety programmes.
View reportRoad Traffic Mortality Rate Indicator
International road traffic mortality methodology used to contextualise national reported figures.
WHO data portalGrant Agreement 101069525
International road safety research collaboration involving African and European partners.
View ZRST partnershipsWork With ZRST
Fund evidence that changes decisions.
ZRST can develop crash briefs, school-zone assessments, NMT corridor studies, fleet safety audits, route-risk maps and policy briefs. This turns road safety from assertion into verified, fundable action.