Carelessness touted as major cause of road accidents

 

RELUCTANCE by drivers to use commonsense while driving is regarded as among contributing factors of ongoing accidents in the country

A member of the National Road Safety Council of Tanzania, Mr Henry Bantu, disclosed this during a journalist training on road safety organised by the Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA), through the support of the Global Road Safety Partnership in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

Mr Bantu noted that the reason why most car crashes occur is because drivers are not keen on abiding by the principles of driving, which includes planning, observation and judgment.

“Sixty two per cent of accidents on highways have got to do with mystery single vehicle crash (MSVC), something which could have been presented through commonsense People ought to know that driving is a profession just like any other, with a set of laws, principles, specified rules, regulations and culture Majority of drivers don’t know and it is why they conduct their work traditionally instead of the required way,” said Mr Bantu.

He said that a good driver should always be prepared for any risky situation with their vehicles carrying important tools such as jumpers, a jack, torch, rope and a spare tire. He further pointed out that accidents are likely to occur if the driver does not cover a certain stopping distance along with the reaction time. “Studies have shown that a male driver reacts 10 times than a female driver in the case of any compromising situation,” he said.

The facilitator of the training, Ms Saida Msumi, observed that 90 per cent of accidents are caused by human faults, whereby data from the police show that the figure for Tanzania is 76 per cent annually. She identified the indicators of road accidents in the country as over speeding, excessive alcohol use, child restraints, wearing helmets and the use of seat belts. TAMWA Executive Director, Ms Edda Sanga, cautioned the youth to be very careful while driving for they are at a greater risk of facing road accidents.

She pointed out that the crashes eliminate a valuable segment of the workforce and in turn affects the country’s development