Rwanda: Why telephone calls are grave mistakes when driving

It has been noted in recent days that car drivers, riders of motorcycles have a deadly speed when on transit, a habit which contributes to most road accidents in Kigali and other parts of the country. However studies show other causes commonly ignored.

Considering the types of accidents occurring, one may comment that recklessness has grown and seem to mature. An accident that occurred on 28^th Mach 2012 around Kigali Business Centre (KBC) between seven and eight morning hours is one of examples of careless drivers.

 

According to the traffic Police, most drivers receive telephone calls, short messages (sms) and even reply to such conversations while driving and sometime at a high speed.

 The same is with Motor riders who try reading messages on a ride though it ends with worst results.

Rwanda is a country known to be orderly and has smart road safety personnel, traffic lights and of course good schools for driving ‘we believe’.

They are supposed to be careful and professional drivers but if you ask why such deadly accidents occur on our motorways, you will get a baffling answer.

Many such road calamities happen in morning hours when drivers are expected to be clear minded (sober) maybe there are many family conflicts which cause people leave their families disturbed, or most drivers used to abuse drugs, or is it the roads that are too smooth for drivers to control? Maybe yes, maybe not but all the same; there should be more than two causes.

A random research that involved ordinary Rwandans, those who travel on Taxies, those who mount Motorcycles, pedestrians and even drivers have some observations, claims and  confessions to make.

Most claim to have observed several drivers on a long time phone talk while at work (driving) not by the Bluetooth technology but they pick up the cellular phone manually as if they are seated in their homes.

A habit like this lead to lack of concentration, and some time one might receive a shocking/ exciting in call or message that might end up destructing his/ her mind.    

Others said overworking lead to fatigue which also results into slumbering during driving.

This was argued especially for heavy duty vehicles and long distance passenger/ cargo vehicles, and those young drivers who go for work on Mondays after a ‘Good weekend’ that is; one or two sleepless nights of hugs, jumps and shouts. No one is complaining about that but caution! Life is the supreme chief.

 

  

“Despite the good work that Rwanda Traffic police does to supervise and enforce laws on road safety, there will not be anyone spared in this way unless they change” says Innocent Madudu, a Police Constable in the department of road Accidents.

Loud music was also mentioned among those causes. One resident of Kigali commented “how could the driver listen to a honking car or motorcycle behind while there is such loud music in our taxies”.

Faustine Ngirabakunzi also a Traffic Police wondered why people fail to learn from mistakes. “We try to guide them when on the road, we punish those who are found misbehaving but you might think it is a child’s game”

Another interviewee namely Jane Bamurange, a resident of Kacyiru sector in Gasabo District gave out a different story “sometime you see a driver listening to music or any audio through earphones/headphones and you wonder how such a person can concentrate on the road.”

Although Rwanda is not the worst, not even very bad, country that experiences terrible road accidents but it does not mean that those lost lives; property; money and time could be taken for nothing.

Everyone has to know that one life of a Rwandan is worth the Nation as it is through individuals that the Nation exists. The media and the ordinary Rwandan (Umuturage) hereby beseech the Traffic Police to strictly follow up such traits and we promise to cooperate.

It is not concluded that all road accidents are caused by the same, but reason out  that some if not many of them do happen due to such environment.