Kampala, Uganda – The directorate of traffic and road safety in Uganda have revealed that during the course of last week from 25th to 31st August 2024, a total of 98 victims lost their lives and 336 sustained serious injuries in road crashes across the country.
According to the spokesperson of the traffic directorate SP Michael Kananura, those among the dead included 34 motorcyclists, 24 passengers in vehicles, 20 pedestrians, 13 passengers on motorcycles, 3 drivers, 2 pedal cyclists and 2 others.
“Motorcycles accounted for 48%, vehicle occupants accounted for 26%, pedestrians 20% and pedal cyclists 2%.” Kananura disclosed
Traffic directorate highlighted that the main causes of the above accidents were during to careless overtaking which contributed to 27% , followed by over speeding that contributed to 22% of the total road crashes countrywide.
He further said, among the notable road crashes during last week was the tragic incident that happened on the 1st September 2024 at 3:30am at Kabaale Bugonzi along Kampala Masaka highway, where 8 people lost their lives and several others surviving with serious injuries.
“The crash occurred when the driver of the Jaguar bus travelling from Kampala to Kigali attempted to overtake unidentified vehicle by drifting into the opposite lane, colliding with the oncoming Mitsubishi Canter and the bus rolled multiple times claiming the lives of 8 passengers and injuring 20 others.” He stated
It’s upon the above background that Kananura reminded all the road users across the country to follow the road safety guidelines issued by the traffic directorate to make the roads a safer place for everyone. “As we navigate our daily journeys, let’s remember that road safety is a shared responsibility. We all play a critical role in preventing tragic incidents and ensuring our roads are safe for everyone.” He said
