Road accidents continued to claim lives in the country during the festive season as police recorded 30 deaths from 28 fatal accidents on local roads.
The Botswana Police Weekly Crime report for the period between the 17th of December and 04 January, the number is equal to that of last year’s festive season, as the same number of people perished on local roads. The report has revealed no major downward change in road carnages on Botswana’s roads. According to the report, a total of 133 people suffered serious injuries in road accidents this season while another 234 escaped with minor injuries.
This is a marked increase from last year’s festive season as police recorded 98 serious injuries and 226 minor injuries during the same period.
The police have, however, recorded a decrease in the number of road traffic violations as compared to last year. The report shows a slight decrease in the number of over-speeding drivers as the police nabbed 3 191 drivers for over speeding, as compared to 3 323 in the previous festive season.
Despite the levies on alcohol as well as the fines that go with driving under the influence, Police reported a sharp increase in the number of cases of driving under the influence.
According to the report, 224 people were booked for the offence, as compared to 114 in the past festive season, almost double the cases recorded in 2009.
The report further shows that the police recorded 84 armed robberies, 532 house break ins, 145 store breakings and theft, 10 murder cases, 112 rapes and 12 suicides during the festive season.
Seven suspects were arrested for armed robberies, 9 for murder while 22 were arrested for rape.
The report says that during the 2009/2010 festive season, police reported 49 cases of armed robberies, 585 for house break ins, 223 store breaking and theft, 21 murders, 99 rape cases as well as 8 suicides.
The report, however, says the 2010/2011 festive season was “a peaceful one without serious disturbing incidents”.
