End rising carnage on our roads

The fatalities on Ugandan roads are alarming. Rising motor accidents are frightening away many road users and I believe it also scares away potential tourists.
According to a United Nations report released on February, Uganda loses 10 people per day to road accidents.
Many of the road users have poor road safety culture characterised by reckless driving, overloading, speeding, drink-driving, driving vehicles and motorcycles in poor mechanical condition, making or receiving phone calls and reading or sending messages while driving. Weak and inadequate laws to punish violators of traffic rules and regulations. Until legislators in Uganda wake up, weak traffic rules will continue to let traffic offences to prevail on our roads.

Let us borrow a leaf from developed countries such as UK in reference to the case of former Manchester United captain, Mr Wayne Rooney. Due to drink-driving, the English player was banned from driving for two years in September last year and ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work as part of the 12-month community order. In addition, Mr Rooney was fined £170 and £85 as fines and prosecution costs respectively after his conviction by Stockport magistrates’ court.
Vehicle in poor mechanical condition moving on our roads is are a tragedy in waiting. Often, you see such vehicles being driven at night. Some have only one front light, dysfunctional brake lights, have broken or no indicators, no wipers, etc.

Surprisingly, such vehicles even go through traffic police check points.
There are also heavy trucks that get mechanical faults and get parked by the roadside without any reflective or cautionary warning signs to warn other motorists on what is ahead. This experience is worse in sugarcane growing areas of Busoga and Bunyoro.
Other causes of accident are environmental or natural factors such as heavy rain that reduces visibility. In many cases, poor visibility may lead to a head-on collision.

Regarding infrastructure maintenance, the Ministry of Works and its agency, the Uganda National Roads Authority, should ensure that road markings are done to ease driving at night.
Precautionary measures such as avoid driving in the rain, carrying out regular vehicle servicing, and government imposing strict traffic regulations like withdrawing driving permits of traffic rules violators, among others.
Ambrose Ssewanyana,
[email protected]