{Five people, including children, perished last week during the Christmas festival, Rwanda National Police has confirmed. }
The police have however noted that these accidents had no direct correlation with the festive season but usual accidents like it happens in normal days.
Superintendent Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi, the spokesperson of traffic police, said; “Five accidents were registered, three children and two adults perished during the severe accidents which cannot be attributed to the festive season.”
Three children were hit by run-away vehicles in Gasabo district, Rusororo and Rusizi by reckless drivers.
In Gasabo accident, a street vendor, in the process of arranging her merchandise, put her baby down who was hit by a car as it crawled along the road. Other children in Rusororo and Rusizi accidents were hit dead as they crossed the road.
Other accidents involved a motorcyclist hit by an over-speeding car that was being driven by an individual suspected to have been drunk.
Another accident happened in Gasabo in the night preceding Christmas was a result of stress where the driver swerved off the road into a channel, but police tests established he was not drunk.
Despite the incidents of accidents; police stated that road safety was good in general and appealed on parents and drivers to be more vigilant in ensuring the safety of road users and, especially, children.
“A 3-year old is not capable of crossing the road without companion. It is apparent that parents sometimes disregard their duties of ensuring their children’ safety when they are alongside the road,” said Ndushabandi.
He reminded drivers that in inhabited areas, the vehicle ought not race beyond 50km per hour as old and little kids may be circulating around.
During the festive season, individuals who requested for help from the police in case they were drunk, received the support, while those that were severely drunk were accommodated by the police.
Leave a Reply