By Chinoyi Chipulu
Twenty-eight (28) people died while 31 people were seriously injured in separate road traffic accidents country wide during the New Year holiday.
Over 220 accidents were recorded in Zambia as police traffic department raised K591, 075 admissions of guilt fines.
Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo said 22 were fatal, 27 were serious, 54 were slight road traffic accidents in which 61 persons were slightly injured and 122 were damage only road traffic accidents.
Ms Katongo said Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents with 105, followed by Copperbelt Province with 31, Central province with 22, Southern and Eastern provinces with 14 each, Luapula with 11, North Western and Western provinces with 08 road traffic accidents .
“Muchinga and Northern Provinces recorded the least with 06 and 04 accidents respectively.In comparison with previous New Year holiday of 2020, a total number of 101 road traffic accidents were recorded as compared to 225 road traffic accidents recorded this year which shows an increase by 124 road traffic accidents,”she said.
Ms Katongo said the country recorded an increase of accidents in a similar period last year and police have attributed this to disregard to road traffic rules and regulations by motorists.
“Thirteen were fatal road traffic accidents in which 13 people were killed in the 2020 New Year holiday as compared to 22 fatal road traffic accidents where 28 persons were killed. The record shows an increase in fatal road traffic accidents by 09 and persons killed by 15,”
“In the same holiday of 2020, 15 were recorded as serious road traffic accidents in which 18 persons were seriously injured as compared to 27 serious road traffic accidents where 31 persons were seriously injured in this New Year’s holiday. The accidents still show increased figures in serious road traffic accidents by 12 and in persons seriously injured by 13.
16 were recorded as slight road traffic accident in 2020 in which 19 persons were slightly injured as compared to 54 slight road traffic accidents where 61 persons were slightly injured this year. The figures also shows increase in slight road traffic accidents by 38 and 42 persons slightly injured, “she said.
She said 57 were recorded as damage only road traffic accidents in the holiday of 2020 as compared to 122 recorded in this year’s holiday. There is still an increase in damage only road traffic accidents by 67.
“A total amount of K 434,270.00 was raised in admission of guilt fines in 2020 as compared to K591, 075.00 raised this year’s holiday. The admission of guilt has risen by K156, 805.00,” she said.
