9,000 arrested for driving without licence - ZimStats

OVER 9,000 people were caught by the police while driving without vehicle licences between January and June this year, a 71 percent increase in the crime when compared to the same period last year.

According to statistics provided by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats), 9,331 people were caught driving without a licence compared to 5,474 during the same period last year.

Also, the report revealed that during the first half of this year, 15,519 vehicles were not insured while 13,190 vehicles had not been insured during the same period last year.

The report did not give any reasons for the trends.

1,741 motorists were charged with negligent driving up from 1,597 last year, an increase of 144 percent.

So far this year, 12,892 drivers were considered to have driven without due care while 26,520 were nabbed for speeding.

The release of the figures comes at a time when government is making consultations to draft a new Highway Code.

At a meeting held to discuss the new Highway Code Draft in Bulawayo recently, Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) product development and marketing manager Ernest Muchena said his organisation sought to reduce accidents and improve road safety.

Participants at the indaba also highlighted the need to set up new speed regulations on the country's roads.

They said it was also important to make the defensive driving certificates compulsory.

At the same meeting, the National Professional Driver's Association proposed that people over the age of 90 should be banned from driving on the country's roads.