Something ought to be done about deadly A3 Road

The Monitor Editor | Tuesday June 6, 2023 06:00

The accident which happened near Marapong village comes after yet another horrific accident which claimed 16 lives in July last year near Hubona. These stats don’t include other accidents where fatalities were not as many as the two.

While several factors may have contributed to the two accidents and many others, many believe the biggest with that road is the bad state that the road is in. Unconfirmed reports in the most recent accident state that the truck driver was trying to avoid a cyclist and ended up crossing into the oncoming traffic lane. The road does not have shoulders and it is quite narrow for drivers to avoid head-on collision in such scenarios! For years many have pleaded with government to do something about the bad state of the road with some calling it a death trap.

Shortly after the announcement that the same road claimed many lives once again, many took to social media to express their frustration with government’s inaction regarding the road that continues to claim lives. Some even said they were scared of going home because of fear that they may also become statistics of travellers who end up losing their lives due to the bad state of the road. While it is understandable that there has to be planning with regard to the reconstruction of roads, some have to be prioritised, and government needs to urgently address these issues before we end up losing more people. Fatal road accidents affect lives in more ways than just the people losing their lives.

In most cases, children are left without parents due to fatal accidents and families end up struggling because the one person they looked to for survival lost their lives due to a road traffic accident that perhaps could have been avoided. While it is a known fact that the state of the road is a major contributor to road traffic accidents, motorists also have to be vigilant and avoid overspeeding as that also is a major contributor to road traffic accidents. The other known factor is fatigue and driving under the influence of alcohol and other substances that may reduce a person’s ability to judge distance, speed, and the movement of other vehicles.

We plead with government to do something about the state of the A3 Road while at the same time, we implore drivers to be extra cautious along that road.