Zimbabwe police wish it had speed trap machines and breathalyzers

Zimbabwe Police have expressed concern over an increase in road accidents countrywide caused by speeding and unlicensed drivers.

Traffic police in the country is facing various challenges to monitor speed on the roads due to reduced numbers of speed monitoring devices, among other challenges.

The Officer-Commanding Manicaland Province, Commissioner Priscilla Makotose has wished that the Zimbabwe Police force is oiled with speed trap machines, breathalyzers and vehicles.

Makotose said this while complaining about the rampant errant driving on the country's roads which has led to a bloodbath on the badly managed Zimbabwean roads.

She appealed for more resources for the Police including vehicles if the high carnage on the roads is to be addressed.

"Errant drivers are not just a danger to themselves but to all innocent road users hence the need to report them. I appeal to the motoring public to be more cautious," said Makotose.

She said this when she accompanied The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Felix Mhona on a tour of black spots along Nyanga-Nyamaropa Highway where a total of 40 accidents were reported on a 40km stretch between January 1, 2022 and October 2022.

She bemoaned the poor resourcing of the Police and appealed to Mhona for more vehicles in order to deal with bad driving.

"Be alert against errand drivers including those speeding and as Police we urge Government to enforce withdraw licenses from reckless drivers," said Makotore.

She told the public to stop speeding drivers and if they refuse to stop, report them to the Police. Some of the offences common on the roads are overtaking on continuous lines and curves, stopping and loading in the middle of the road, ignoring speed limits and road signs, going through red robots and ignoring stop and give way signs.

"If a driver is not moving at the recommended speed, stop him or her. If they refuse call the Police and we will move in and make arrests.

"We need to act and cancel licenses for bad drivers so that there is a strong deterrence for this serious offence. The general public need to be aware that it is their lives that is at stake when there is reckless driving on the roads.

"As Police we wish that the force is oiled with speed trap machines, breathalyzers and vehicles. Our road fines are the lowest in SADC and we appeal for stiffer fines that can be a deterrent to offenders," added Comm Makotose.

Mhona concurred with Makotose on the need to the need to adequately resource the Police. He also urged the Police to establish a reaction team for road accidents only.