Hit-and-run accidents up by 50%

INCIDENTS of hit-and-run accidents in Bulawayo have increased by about 50%, from 319 cases in 2011 to 577 last year, police have said.

Addressing stakeholders during a workshop organised by the local authority last week, the officer commanding Bulawayo Metropolitan traffic police, Superintendent Moreblessing Gandiyaru said the rise  in the number of  hit-and-run accidents was "absurd and awkward".

"In 2012, we recorded a total of 577 cases of hit-and-run accidents and that is a huge rise from the 319 cases that were reported in 2011," he said.

Gandiyaru said out of all the accidents reported, police had managed to account for only 54 cases.

"The detection rate has only been 17%, which is a far cry from the expected target of 50% that we have been hoping to reach," he said.

Gandiyaru urged motorists to comply with traffic bylaws and regulations and to immediately report to the police once they have knocked down pedestrians, council property or smashed other vehicles.
"In most of these hit-and-run accidents, the drivers never stopped or reported the matter to the police," he said.

"They clandestinely repainted and repaired their vehicles and pretended nothing happened, yet people were killed and property was destroyed."

Gandiyaru said human error contributed to the bulk of the accidents in and around Bulawayo.

He said last year, speeding contributed to 891 accidents, while 750 were caused by reversing errors. A total of 554 accidents  were caused by  failing to keep the required distance between cars.

Gandiyaru said the traffic police department was trying hard to curb the rate of accidents.