Reduction in average traffic speeds by as little as 5km/h can reduce road fatalities by up to 30 percent, National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) director Francis Meja has said.
Mr Meja said that averages of 3,000 lives are lost and more than 10,000 are injured annually in road accidents due to speeding.
He disclosed that research on road carnage has shown that speeding is the major cause of fatal road accidents.
“Speeding has been identified as the leading cause of fatalities,” the NTSA official said in a statement.
“This is besides negligence by pedestrians and careless acts such as alcoholism, jaywalking and other forms of aggressive behaviour.”
He revealed that NTSA will soon enforce the use of foot bridges and zebra crossings to minimise road accidents.
The NTSA boss also said that though the agency recognises the importance of signage on roads, the absence of signs should not be an excuse for motorists to go above speed limits.
“l call upon all motorists to be cautious while using the roads. NTSA is working with other authorities to restore all road-side infrastructure where necessary,” he said.
The officer further said that pedestrians killed on roads represent 46 percent of total fatalities recorded.
The Traffic Act says no one should drive at speeds of more than 50km/h on any road within a trading centre, township, municipality or city.