The Zambia police service has recorded a marginal reduction in the number of road traffic accidents from 7,713 in the second quarter of 2018 to 7,687 recorded in the second quarter of 2019.
And the police say they raised K11,533,572.00 as admission of guilt fines from various road offences.
In a statement, Tuesday, Zambia Police Service Public Relations Officer Esther Katongo disclosed that Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents with 4,135, followed by Copperbelt with 1,294.
“During the second quarter of 2019, a total number of 7,687 road traffic accidents were recorded out of which 387 were fatal in which 458 persons were killed, 775 were serious road traffic accidents in which 1,313 persons were seriously injured, 1,348 were Slight injury road traffic accidents in which 2,046 persons were slightly injured. This brings the total number of casualties to 3,817. Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents with 4,135, followed by Copperbelt with 1,294 whilst Northern Province recorded the least with 132 road traffic accidents. There is a reduction in road traffic accidents in the second quarter of 2019 as compared to that of 2018 which can be attributed to the presence of Zambia Police Service officers on major roads and accident prone areas as well as general compliance to road traffic rules and regulations by the motorists and other road users. However, the total number of accidents in Lusaka Province has continued to rise due to high number of vehicles on the roads,” the statement read.
“In comparison with the second quarter of 2018, road traffic accidents were recorded as compared to 7,687 road traffic accidents which were recorded in this year’s second quarter. The figures show a reduction by 26 road traffic accidents. 399 road traffic accidents were recorded as fatal in which 487 persons were killed in 2018 as compared to 387 fatal road traffic accidents where 458 persons were killed in the second quarter of 2019. The records show a reduction by 11 fatal road traffic accidents and 29 persons killed.”
Katongo stated that police also recorded a reduction by 56 in the number of severely injured persons this year compared to the second quarter of 2018.
“1,471 persons were seriously injured in 831 serious road traffic accidents recorded in the second quarter of 2018 as compared to 1,313 persons seriously injured in 775 serious road traffic accidents in 2019.There is a decrease in serious road traffic accidents by 56 and 158 persons seriously injured respectively. 1,573 were slight injury road traffic accidents in which 2,405 persons were slightly injured in 2018 as compared to 1,348 slight road traffic accidents where 2,046 persons were slightly injured in the second quarter of 2019.The figures show a reduction in persons slightly injured and slight injury road traffic accidents by 359 and 225 respectively,” read the statement.
“During the same period, 4,910 damage only road traffic accidents were recorded in the second quarter of 2018 as compared to 5,177 recorded in 2019 while 35,415 road traffic offences were recorded in which K 11,533,572.00 was raised as admission of guilt fines.”
