ZAMBIA Police have collected over K12.8 million of admission of guilt fines, as revealed in the first quarter of this year’s road traffic accident report.
This translates into about K1.4 million increase from last year’s collections.
“In the first quarter of 2022, K11, 416,058.00 was collected as admission of guilt fines compared to K12,877,273.00 collected in the first quarter of 2023, indicating an increase in admission of guilt by K1,461,215.00,” Zambia Police Service assistant public relations officer Godfrey Chilabi disclosed in a statement to Kalemba.
Meanwhile, Chilabi stated that 390 people died while 1, 119 were seriously injured as the country recorded 7, 639 road traffic accidents countrywide during the first quarter of this year.
He said Lusaka Province had the highest number of accidents with 4,186, representing 54.8 per cent of the total accidents.
“Out of these accidents, 360 were fatal, resulting in the deaths of 390 people while 744 were serious injury accidents, in which 1,119 people were seriously injured, and 1,458 were slight injury accidents, resulting in minor injuries to 2,043 people,” Chilabi said.
Chilabi added that the total number of casualties in the first quarter of 2023 was 3,552.
“Other provinces with significant numbers of accidents were Copperbelt with 1,159, Central with 641, Southern with 429, North-Western with 278, Eastern with 269, Luapula with 215, Western with 178, and Northern and Muchinga with 142,” he said.
“Comparing these figures with the first quarter of 2022, there is an increase in road traffic accidents by 384, but a decrease in fatal accidents and persons killed by 76 and 178, respectively.”
Chilabi further disclosed that serious injury accidents increased by 85, while casualties decreased by 247.
He said slight injury accidents increased by 150, but that the number of persons slightly injured decreased by 38.
“There were also 225 more damage-only accidents recorded in the first quarter of 2023 than in the same period in 2022,” Chilabi explained.
He noted that most of such accidents were attributed to misjudging clearance distance, excessive speed, failing to keep to the nearside and cutting in.
“It is imperative that drivers exercise caution while on the road, obey traffic laws and regulations, and avoid behaviors that may lead to accidents [as] road safety is a shared responsibility,” Chilabi advised.
By Moses Makwaya
Kalemba April 14, 2022
