Council of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2010-2020.
To us this is a celebration of an event that we believe will lead to greater reduction of the carnage on our roads as it seeks to influence a change in the behaviour of drivers on our roads.
The power to reduce unnecessary carnage on our roads lies with all of us. However, more importantly, the Zimbabwe Republic Police traffic section and other players such as the Vehicle Inspection Department are critical in motivating this change. Therefore, let’s not always ask what the ZRP and the Zimbabwe Traffic Safety Council can do for us but rather what all of us can do for the country to reduce the carnage on the roads.
It has been reported that globally 1,2 million die on the roads annually and that the figure will rise by 2020. In Zimbabwe at least five people die per day and an average of 1 200 accidents occur per day. These are attributable to human error, drunkenness, fatigue, tyre bursts, etc. In all these details nothing is said about the effect of vehicle lights especially at night.
Firstly, are there any regulations that govern and specifically determine the size, type, quality and focus range of vehicle lights? If we have these statutes then they are not enforced judging by what is happening on the roads.
It is our belief that spotlights are made for countries that are snowy and foggy where visibility is compromised hence they are inappropriate in Zimbabwe. However, there is a trend where some commuter omnibuses have been fitted with very bright yellow lights.
It is a requirement that if you are passing another car and your headlights are on flash, you should dip your lights to a lower beam. This is, however, not the case with the new lights because there is no difference if they are on dip or flash.
This is apparent with the bright blue lights fitted onto the latest imports from Singapore such as on Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and BMW. We then have the spotlights fitted on row bars of some 4×4 vehicles, which are blue and also very bright. These affect the oncoming driver’s visibility.
Cross-border coaches normally also have their lights on full beam. There is no dipping, a factor that blinds drivers of on coming traffic and this contributes to road accidents. Possibly these could have less effect on dual carriageways as is the case in South Africa as opposed to single lanes in Zimbabwe. These coaches are driven as though it is daylight and have no regards for other users.
Our local buses have bright lights fitted inside to give visibility to passengers and such lights should not be too bright as they have an effect on drivers especially in their working area.
We have read in the dailies that Zimra is working flat out to clear the backlog of imported cars at Beitbridge. It would appear the emphasis is on value for duty purposes only and yet we believe attention should also be on the type of light on all imports into the country.
Zimra, Zimbabwe Traffic Safety Council, SAZ, Consumer Council, ZRP, importers/manufacturers, and motorists should work like an ox-span to achieve teamwork. We liken this scenario to a communal farmer-using ox driven plough. He will use a span of oxen, which will work as a team.
This will equal team spirit, but if we behave like communal farmers who use a mix of donkeys and oxen then that teamwork is shattered because there is unevenness. This relationship therefore in our view is symbolic to the Zimbabwe Traffic Safety Council “the people holding the plough”, the ZRP being the person with the whip/chamboko and the person leading the oxen being the importers of parts or those responsible for fitting these bright lights.
As VID checks for certificate of fitness they should also check on these bright lights before the vehicle is certified to be fit for the road. We advocate the scenario of an ox team that ensures all activities are co-ordinated by all stakeholders and help in reduction of accidents.
Let’s meet again next week for more tit bits.
l Contact us through above numbers or G. Mbeya on 0774 215 505.
PROUDLY ZIMBABWEAN.

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