Police collected K44,084,661 admission of guilt fines out of the149,879 road traffic offences recorded last year compared to K40,430,064 raised in 2017 involving 152,802 accidents. This figure indicates a decrease in road traffic offences by 2,923 and an increase in admission of guilt fines by K3,654,597. This is according to a statement issued yesterday by police spokesperson Esther Katongo.

The country, however, recorded an increase in the number of accidents last year compared to 2017 by 489, from 30,163 to 30,652. And a reduction of 129 casualties was recorded in 2018 compared to 2017, from 15,951 to 15,822. Ms Katongo said in 2018, there were 1,636 fatal road traffic accidents in which 1,817 people died compared to 1,436 road accidents in 2017 in which 1,989 people were killed. “This shows an increase in fatal accidents by 200 and a decrease in people killed by 172,” Ms Katongo said.

She said 3,392 fatal accidents were recorded last year in which 5,266 people were injured compared to 3,017 recorded in 2017.
Ms Katongo said 5,500 people were seriously injured in 2018, indicating an increase of 375 and a decrease in persons seriously injured by 234.
She said in 2018, 6,891 minor road traffic accidents were recorded in which 8,739 were slightly injured, showing an increase by 277 from 8,462 injuries in 2017.

Ms Katongo said police further recorded 18,733 damages to vehicles IN 2018 as compared to 20,065 in 2017. She said 1,481 children under the age of 16 were involved in road traffic accidents in 2018 as compared to 1,431 in 2017. “There were 40,408 vehicles involved in road traffic accidents in 2018 as compared to 41,827 vehicles involved in accidents in 2017,” Ms Katongo said.

She said Lusaka recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents at 16,177, followed by Copperbelt, which had 4,836.
Central Province recorded 2,223 accidents while the Southern region had 1,860 cases. Eastern Province recorded 1,472 while Western had the least, with 593 road traffic accidents. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old Congolese, John Mwakwa, has died while his 35-year-old sister Suzen Chabu is nursing burns after a thatched hut they were in caught fire in Chiengi district.

The incident happened on Monday in Kamasansa village in Chief Puta’s area. Ms Katongo said Ms Chabu was frying relish and in the process, cooking oil spilled on fire resulting in a huge flame which engulfed her. She said in an attempt to save his sister’s life, Mr Mwakwa also got trapped in the inferno but both managed to escape the fire with severe burns.

“They were rushed to Chiengi hospital where they were both admitted but on Tuesday, Mr Mwakwa died whilst his sister, who is seven months pregnant, is still admitted,” Ms Katongo said