ROAD traffic accident scenes are a gory site.
By Tendai Makaripe
Seeing bloodied and maimed bodies, some of them lying lifeless on the tarmac is a tear-jerking experience.
The heart bleeds upon realising that someone’s life has been cut short and death has robbed the individual of dreams and aspirations he or she would have harboured for the future.
Within seconds, a road traffic accident can create widows and orphans who may grapple with the pain of unexpectedly losing a loved one.
On top of the emotional scars, those left behind will sometimes have to contend with an unforgiving economy to irk a living especially in circumstances where the departed one was a breadwinner.
What is more throbbing is the realisation that many of the road traffic accidents that occur in the world are avoidable as they are caused by factors like speeding, driving under the influence of psychoactive substances or alcohol, distracted driving, unsafe vehicles among others.
These factors contribute to the death of about 1.35 million people every year, according to the February 2020 World Health Organisation (WHO) fact sheet on road traffic injuries.
WHO adds that these road traffic crashes cost many countries across the world 3 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Another factor that contributes to road traffic accidents but receives less attention pertains to road surface markings.
In their book, Introduction to Transportation Engineering, Tom Mathew and Krishna Rao define road surface markings as: “Road surface markings are lines, patterns, words or other devices, except signs, set into applied or attached to the carriageway or kerbs or to objects within or adjacent to the carriageway, for controlling, warning, guiding and informing the users.”
The definition underscores the importance of having roads surfaces clearly marked as they help guide and control traffic on a highway.
Improperly marking, not marking or not attending to fading road surface markings is a recipe for disaster in the traffic jungle.
Chaos on the highway leads to unnecessary loss of life thus clear road markings bring sanity by supplementing the function of traffic signs.
Analysts who spoke to 263Chat noted that road markings signify the demarcation of a traffic path and its lateral clearance from traffic hazards to ensure the safe, smooth and harmonious flow of traffic.
They added that different types of road markings like longitudinal markings, transverse markings, object markings and special markings play a significant role in communicating different messages to road users thereby reducing the risk of accidents.
Unfortunately, a snap survey by this publication showed that many of the country’s urban and trunk roads either have fading road markings or no markings at all which puts road users at risk of being involved in road traffic accidents.
In many occasions, painted white dashes between driving lanes are faded and worn down by factors such as tyres and rain.
Highway engineers noted that the painted markings lose effectiveness over time as paint wears away and the reflective glass beads shear off making driving unsafe especially at night when reflectivity of the paint has fallen.
Traffic safety of Zimbabwe spokesperson, Tatenda Chinoda underscored the importance of road safety markings.
“Roads must be “talking” to road users for effective safe passage. Markings on the road are the language used for communication amongst road users,” said Chinoda.
Motorists concurred with Chinoda adding that road markings provide guidance and information to drivers.
“For instance, a continuous white line in the middle indicates that one cannot cross the line for either overtaking or for any other reason. They also provide visibility for motorists as the road becomes easy to navigate,” said motorist, Benedict Marufu and added: “These lines also discourage encroachment which causes a lot of accidents.”
The markings’ usefulness is compromised if the road infrastructure is not adequately rehabilitated as is the case with many of the country’s roads.
Zimbabwe Infrastructure Report of 2019 notes that the World Economic Forum ranked Zimbabwe road infrastructure at 116 out of 137 in 2018.
Experts said this increases the risk of accidents.
“Resultantly, drivers on Zimbabwe’s roads find it difficult to know the full length of white lines on a single or dual carriage roads because they are either worn out or completely erased,” said surveying engineering expert in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
“Centre line markings are essential in that they guide road-users and their absence on single carriageways increases the risk of head-on collisions which more often than not result in death or severe injury,” he added.
Government’s long term approach to road sector management is reflected in the “Road Sub-sector Policy Green Paper” of March 1999 and the “Draft National Transport Policy” of September 2005 which places obligations on government to provide an acceptable level of safety to road users; provide and maintain high quality road infrastructure and improve the management of the road infrastructure among others.
However, many of the country’s highways do not have proper markings which compromises road safety for road users.
“A lot must be done to ensure that we have sustainable “talking roads.” Investment in quality paints for markings is key. It appears the paint being used is not durable. After two weeks or so, the markings fade,” said Chinoda.
“Quality must not be compromised. At the end, many sections of the road network remain unmarked, this is a road traffic collision risk. Public private investments must be engendered to sustain talking roads,” he added.
Acting Director of Planning in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Kutevera Mkanganwi said his ministry is trying its best to rehabilitate and construct roads in line with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) standards.
“SADC countries agreed to standardise their national road networks to accommodate motorists crossing from one state to another. This includes signage and road markings,” he said.
Mkanganwi also said financial and material resources are scarce and did not permit for a one time replacement and adoption of these regional standards.
“As such, the government, through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, opted for a phased approach. Harare-Bulawayo and Harare-Mutare Roads have already been updated to the new markings,” he said.
Mkanganwi further said signage and road markings are mandatory to every new contract that is outsourced within the ministry.
“No new contract is performed on the highways without signage and surface markings,” he said, adding that existing markings are maintained at provincial level with funding for maintenance coming from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) and the fiscus when available.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joel Biggie Matiza added that government is working hard to improve road infrastructure in the country and to reduce road carnage and facilitate socio-economic growth and poverty reduction in line with Vision 2030 which the nation aims to attain.
“We are constructing world-class roads, with clear signage and surface markings. As you are aware, well furbished roads, with clear markings are ingredients for industrial growth,” he said.
“We are committed to the United Nations declared Decade of Action for Road Safety, which envisages a reduction in road traffic deaths by 50 percent by year end and the refurbishment and construction of roads will help us to achieve this mandate.”
One hopes that the phased process government is embarking on is carried through to completion to avoid unnecessary loss of lives on the country’s highways.
