Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Releases 2023 Third Quarter Road Traffic Accident Statistics
The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Danny Mwale, has unveiled the road traffic accident statistics for the third quarter of 2023, showing an increase in road accidents compared to the same period in 2022.
According to the police report, a total of 9,888 road traffic accidents were recorded nationwide during the third quarter of 2023. Out of these, 460 were classified as fatal accidents, resulting in the tragic loss of 581 lives. Additionally, 941 accidents were categorized as serious injury accidents, leading to 1,719 people sustaining severe injuries.
Furthermore, the report indicates that 1,930 accidents resulted in slight injuries, with 2,758 individuals surviving with minor injuries. Notably, 6,557 accidents were recorded as “damage only” incidents.
Lusaka Province topped the list with the highest number of accidents, totaling 5,657. Copperbelt Province followed with 1,216 accidents, and Central Province reported 781 accidents. Other provinces also recorded various accident numbers, with Southern Province at 595, North-Western Province with 373, Luapula with 314, Eastern with 313, and Western with 222. Northern and Muchinga Provinces recorded 209 and 208 accidents, respectively.
Comparing these statistics with the same period in 2022, the report shows an increase in road traffic accidents. In the third quarter of 2022, the police recorded 8,919 accidents, including 502 fatal accidents that claimed 597 lives. During this period, 5,854 accidents were categorized as “damage only.”
Moreover, the report indicates that 919 accidents were classified as serious injury accidents, resulting in 1,583 individuals suffering severe injuries. Another 1,644 accidents were recorded as slight injury accidents, with 2,447 people sustaining minor injuries.
The investigations conducted by the police point to human error as the primary cause of most road traffic accidents, with contributing factors such as excessive speed, failure to keep to the near side, misjudging clearance distances, negligent cutting-in, and reckless reversing.
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Danny Mwale stressed the importance of road safety and encouraged road users to adhere to traffic regulations, highlighting the low compliance levels among drivers and pedestrians as a major factor contributing to the increase in road traffic accidents during the third quarter of 2023.
