The number of people dying due to road accidents in Uganda is very alarming as it continues to hike even after the different interventions put in place by our Traffic Police and other stakeholders.
The Major causes of these accidents are always attributed to human error, the bad weather and the ill state of our roads as a country. Different stockholders have come out to sensitise the masses on the need to be very vigilant when it comes to their road safety, but it seems there is still more work needed to be done.
When we were closing off the year on 31st of December – 2023, twenty six (26) people died in road accidents and in only one of week of this month of February, Uganda Police registered 65 deaths in only road accidents. This shows you how our roads have turned into death traps to us the road users.
The official Traffic Police Report of 2023 attributed these accidents to; speeding and exceeding the prescribed speed limits, overtaking manoeuvres carelessly, overtaking on blind corners and hills, distracted driving such as using mobile phones or messaging while operating a vehicle and road obstruction caused by broken-down vehicles.
It is very surprising that this report doesn’t talk about the bad state of our roads being among the causes of these road accidents. How will we get long lasting solutions to these life taking accidents, if the people responsible can’t acknowledge some of the major causes of these accidents?
As road users, we also have to take personal precautions while using these roads ; check the mechanical condition of your vehicle, Motorcycle or bicycle and make sure that it is fit for road use.
For the pedestrians, it is very crucial to be very vigilant while you are using the public roads and to make sure that you stay in the pedestrian lane while using these roads.
Also avoid excessive drinking and driving because without the spirit of collective responsibility, all our efforts towards reducing these scaring numbers of road accidents are likely to go to waste.
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