ZRST appeals to government to speed up support for road victims
The Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST) has called on government to accelerate plans to support innocent victims of road traffic accidents.
Since, 2013 government has been talking about implementing a scheme that would promote compensation, financial and medical requirements.
However, since then thousands of road victims have been injured or killed and bereaved families are left without any form of compensation.
In a statement yesterday, ZRST chairman Daniel Mwamba said the trust is also calling upon the private sector including all concerned stakeholders to support government efforts, and meet the challenge of taking care of injured road victims or bereaved families.
Mwamba stated his organisation is concerned that the current motor vehicle insurance scheme is totally inadequate, does not address the post-crash needs that arose from road accidents , is too little, too late and difficult to access.
“Anyone can be an accident road victim and, therefore, we need to care, feel and feed them. We need a fairer justice system, with more transparent investigations and thorough post-mortems. We want compensation, improved support and recognition for road victims together with timely accurate information provided for those affected by road deaths and injuries, and without any prejudice.
“In perhaps the majority of cases motorists cause death by breaking the law, yet relatives are expected to accept the occurrence as ‘an accident’, and not to expect a proper investigation or a serious prosecution of the driver responsible for the death. If they protest they are dismissed as vindictive and accused of being vengeful. Not only are they faced with the horrendous fact of a loved one’s violent death, but with an attitude to those deaths which borders on the obscene and which cannot possibly be acceptable by any human being. This leaves the bereaved shocked and bewildered; it also causes deep emotional wounds.”
On Tuesday, October 24, 2017, a drunk driver driving through garden road lost control and killed three pedestrians who were walking on the road side. Those who lost their lives were identified as Elita Harriet Lungu, 14, Veronica Mwale, 19; and an unnamed 58-year-old woman caught up on her way to sell chikanda.
According to official records, on average about 20 pedestrians are killed weekly; these deaths cause immense suffering and often drag the bereaved families into poverty, more especially as they are left without any form of compensation or support from government.