By 
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe has joined hands the Zimbabwe Republic Police in a nationwide awareness campaign on road safety as the nation joins the rest of the world in commemorating the 6th United Nations Global Road Safety Week.
This week, the ZRP and TSCZ embarked on a nationwide campaign where the public and motorists were reminded of how to use roads safely and ensure there is proper interaction between all road users to reduce the number of road accidents.
Speaking in an interview during one of the awareness campaign programme in Harare central business district this week, TSCZ acting director operations, research and marketing Mr Ernest Muchena said they are lobbying for low speeds in towns and all crowded places to avoid fatal accidents.
“This year the UN has requested has requested member states to lobby and advocate low speed in urban areas and villages, around schools and playgrounds where there are a lot of people. So they requested that we should lobby for policy that reduces speed 30km/h.
“What it means is that if a person is hit by a vehicle at 30km/h that person is likely to survive but the current speed limit of 60km/h can result in serious injuries and in most cases death to vulnerable people like pedestrians and cyclists.
“We have been carrying out a lot of activities which among others, the buckle up campaign and another one on decongesting the urban roads. We have teams that are carrying out the same exercise across the country,” he said.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi emphasised on the need for motorists to avoid speeding at all costs.
“As you are aware, the United Nations is commemorating the 2021 UN Global Road Safety Week aimed to ensure that there is road safety. Pedestrians, motorists and all should play a part in terms of safeguarding lives on the roads.
“We are doing these activities for the whole week. We have also realised that pedestrians are also victims of road carnage. We have the issue of speeding in built up areas and even in the CBD motorists are speeding and in the process they are killing and injuring people.
“We are taking this UN Global Road Safety week and Cabinet directives to decongest the roads particularly in the CBD,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.
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