Mozambique: Main dams in north nearing full capacity
FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]
Mozambique recorded 148 deaths as a result of 137 road accidents in the first quarter of this year, a reduction of 19% compared to the 183 deaths recorded in the same period of 2023, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior.
“There has been a reduction compared to 2023 thanks to the inspection process and activities and the interventions that are very specific in relation to road safety,” the president of the National Road Transport Institute (INATRO), Chinguane Marcos Mabote, told reporters today during a training session with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on road safety law, as part of the revision of the highway code, in Maputo.
According to the police report to which Lusa had access today, the deaths were the result of 137 road accidents between January and March 2024 (compared to 162 in 2023), which also caused 330 serious and minor injuries.
Most of the accidents (22) and deaths (30) were recorded in Gaza province, in southern Mozambique, the Interior Ministry said.
“Excessive speed prevailed as the main cause, since of the 137 cases recorded, 79 were due to excessive speed,” the document added.
From today until Friday, INATRO and the WHO are holding road safety training to increase the skills of the members of the multisectoral commission to revise the Mozambican highway code, with a view to “producing a more robust proposal”.
“We hope that this is not just another training course, but that it brings concrete results, with an emphasis on increasing your technical skills,” said Severin von Xylander, WHO representative in Mozambique.
Without giving any dates, the president of INATRO said that he hopes to have a new road code in Mozambique by 2025.
“Consultations are underway at national level in various sectors, strands and strata so that we can bring an instrument that meets the current reality and situation in Mozambique,” said Chinguane Marcos Mabote.
According to WHO data, Mozambique “has an above-average burden of road traffic deaths” in Africa, with 20 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.