Mozambique: Drivers who cause fatal accidents to be arrested immediately

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Mozambique: Drivers who cause fatal accidents to be arrested immediately

1:47 CAT | 29 Jul 2022

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]

The Mozambican authorities will immediately arrest drivers involved in accidents that result in deaths as part of measures adopted to curb the high accident rates in the country, the ministry of transport and communication said on Thursday.

“Immediate arrest will be applied to the offender involved in road accidents, with serious fault resulting in death, such as cases of irregular overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol or speeding more than 20 kilometres an hour over the speed limit,” explained Ambrósio Sitoe, spokesman for the ministry, quoted by the media yesterday.

READ: 14 measures to put an end to the blood-bath on Mozambique’s roads – O País

In addition to the immediate detention of the driver, in the case of a serious transgression, the measure includes withdrawing their driving licence and the vehicle documents.

“We were careful to look at the law, look at the Highway Code, and we are aware that we cannot put any measure outside the law,” explained the spokesman.

According to the Mozambican government, the announced measures include a review of speed limits and road signs, mainly at points identified as critical.

Last week, the Mozambican police announced that it would reintroduce the use of breathalysers on the country’s roads more than two years after it stopped using them due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

READ: Mozambique: Road accidents claim lives of 434 people in H1 2022

The rates of road accidents in Mozambique are classified as dramatic by various organisations.

The Mozambican authorities have pointed to speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol as the leading causes of accidents.

On average, at least 1,000 people die on the roads every year, according to figures provided to Lusa by the Mozambican Association for Victims of Road Safety (Amviro).

Source: Lusa