by Tiyamike Masankhula
Mponela Police has expressed worry over the drastic rates at which road accidents are happening especially along the M1 road from Lilongwe to Kasungu within the first four months of the year.
The concern has come following the deaths of seven people who died in different fatal road accidents in just a space of seven days.
According to Inspector Kaitano Lubrino, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mponela Police Station, the current trend was bad as many lives have been lost due to continued road accidents.
The PRO said this, citing one of the recent road carnage in which a woman was hit to death by a car on Tuesday and a head on collision that happened prior to this which also claimed one life.
“The trends are bad this year especially with the drastic occurrence in the past week. Out of 33 road accidents registered from January to April this year, 33 victims were seriously injured, while 11 lives were lost against 10 lives of same period in 2019,” he said.
Lubrino said that Mtiti Bridge, Mponela, Madisi and Mtengowathenga Trading Centres are the areas that have been prone to road accidents hence he warned motorists to drive with caution.
Mponela Police Station Traffic Officer, Inspector, Harris Mbirimtengerenji attributed most of the accidents in the area to speeding which shows that some of these accidents are not inevitable.
“Road users should abide to all road traffic rules and regulations so that road accidents in the country are reduced. These rules should be observed at all times as it has been noted that most of these accidents happen during the night,” he said.
Meanwhile, Police are pleading with road users to be mindful at all times when using roads as the death toll keeps on rising.
