By Johnson Kanyesige
With the ongoing political season and upcoming festivals, the Directorate of Traffic Police and civil society organizations advocating for road safety have warned of a potential surge in road crashes due to reckless driving.
According to last week’s Traffic Police report, 473 drivers were apprehended for various traffic offenses, including 225 cases of driving vehicles in poor mechanical condition, 142 instances of illegal vehicle modifications, and other incidents stemming from careless driving during political campaign activities.
For instance, during a Lord Mayor’s campaign in Kampala last week, two motorcycles collided while attempting to dodge traffic police arrests, leaving four people badly injured and admitted to Mulago Hospital. In another incident near Namyoya, a National Unity Platform (NUP) convoy was reportedly involved in an accident that resulted in several injuries, attributed to reckless riding and driving.
Michael Kananura, the Traffic Police Spokesperson, said that careless overtaking and speeding remain the primary causes of accidents on Ugandan roads. He noted concern over the disregard of traffic regulations during political campaigns and trials, which led to traffic disruptions and accidents. According to Kananura, there has been a continued rise in reckless driving cases, especially during campaign events, often resulting in crashes that claim lives or cause injuries, affecting not only motorists but also innocent pedestrians.
Speaking to Spice FM, Fred Tumwine, chairperson of the Road Safety Coalition (ROSACU), noted that more crashes are likely to occur due to heightened political excitement compared to the 2020 campaigns, which saw reduced incidents due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“The issue of low compliance on the roads and weak enforcement will lead to an increase in crashes. I advise the police to streamline and enforce effective measures, particularly on over-speeding and overtaking, to ensure adherence to the rules,” Tumwine said.
Tumwine noted that they have launched a sensitization campaign targeting political groups and motorists to promote road safety and reduce crashes. However, he said sensitization and improved infrastructure must come first, followed by enforcement.
However, road safety activist Sam Bambanza noted that most accidents involving politicians occur when candidates ferry supporters in overcrowded open trucks, and police are often hesitant to intervene due to political influence.
