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The Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ) has called for a structured and systemic approach to road safety, anchored in sound engineering principles, to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities.
EIZ Vice president for Policy, Public Relations and National Development, Kennedy Musonda, said tackling road safety required a multi-sectoral strategy that combined stronger legislation, improved infrastructure, enhanced enforcement, and investment in reliable data systems.
“Reducing road traffic fatalities requires strengthening legislation, improving infrastructure, enhancing enforcement, and investing in credible data systems,” Musonda said in a statement issued on Thursday.
He advised that Zambia’s road safety strategy should be guided by the Safe System Approach, which recognized that while human error was inevitable, it should not result in death or serious injury.
Musonda further stressed the need to establish a well-funded and technically competent National Road Safety Council to effectively coordinate all stakeholders involved in road safety management.
He also called for amendments to the Road Traffic Act to incorporate modern enforcement technologies such as speed cameras, introduce stiffer penalties for high-risk offences, and make speed limiters mandatory for public service vehicles and heavy-duty commercial transport.
On infrastructure development, Musonda said priority should be given to the treatment of accident blackspots, improved road signage and markings, adequate lighting, and the separation of vulnerable road users through walkways and designated pedestrian crossings.
He emphasised the importance of mandatory Road Safety Audits conducted by certified engineers at all stages of road projects. He further advocated expanded technology-based enforcement, periodic re-testing of commercial drivers, and intensified alcohol and substance abuse testing.
Musonda also said the establishment of a centralised national road accident data system, shared among the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), the Zambia Police Service, and the Ministry of Health, was critical to supporting evidence-based planning and effective interventions.
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