The Sunday Mail
Harmony Agere
Government should ban second-hand tyre imports as these contribute significantly to fatal road accidents, passenger representative organisations say.
A week ago, 32 people were killed in an accident near Kwekwe after a Harare-bound Pfochez Yutong Bus burst a front tyre and side-swiped a Gweru-bound Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
The accident was declared a national disaster.
The influx of second-hand tyres in the country is believed to have contributed significantly to road accidents
Calls to ban used tyres reflect statements by police last week that there was a surge in the number of accidents involving or caused by tyre bursts.
While barely five percent of road accidents in the country can be attributed to tyre bursts, Passengers Association of Zimbabwe president Mr George Goliati said these “few” crashes were usually fatal.
“Most accidents in the fatal category are caused by tyre bursts, especially front tyres so (second-hand tyres) should simply be banned,” he said.
“For us that is a non-negotiable issue because most of tyres are imported from Europe and America where there are cold weather conditions and when they come here they cannot stand the warmer temperatures so they end up bursting.
“This has caused us a lot of problems because our friends and relatives are dying yet we want to continue with something which we know very well is killing us.”
National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba has said 77 people died and 338 were injured in 46 accidents involving or caused by vehicle tyre bursts since November 2015.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is worried with the current trend where vehicle tyre bursts has contributed to many accidents,” she said.
“In order to safeguard the life of people on the roads drivers are urged not to use worn out tyres, they should always balance their tyres as well as avoid buying second-hand tyres.”
The influx of second-hand tyres in the country is believed to have contributed significantly to road accidents
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said drivers should also avoid overloading vehicles.
According to reports, second-hand tyre imports have surpassed the US$1 million mark annually for the past two years.
Research shows that most second-hand tyres are imported from Europe, the US and South Africa and are being sold at about 33 percent of the price of new tyres.
Those who are in the second-hand tyre business say the difficulties and expense involved in disposal of used tyres in the countries they originate from present business opportunities for them.
Motorists say it is difficult to resist the temptation to buy cheaper, second-hand tyres.
“It’s hard to avoid buying them as is with any other cheap products.
“When you buy what you look at is only the price, that used tyres can burst and cause accidents is a very remote concern at that time,” said one motorist.
Mr Goliati called for concerted efforts to end road carnage.
He said human error was a major factor in road carnage, adding that medical ailments and the use of drugs and alcohol while driving were central to this.
According to the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, over 90 percent of traffic accidents are caused by human error.
Mr Goliati also said many people were paying bribes to get drivers’ licenses, something that has prompted calls for tighter monitoring of the issuing authority, the Vehicle Inspection Department.
However, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo refuted the claims, saying the department upheld the highest ethics and blamed counterfeiting syndicates for producing fake documents.
“Members of the public should be on the lookout for conmen, who are masquerading as VID officers and illegally issuing fraudulent documents purported to have originated from VID, especially leaner’s licence, certificate of competency, commonly known as driver’s licence in the form of a blue copy and a certificate of fitness for public service vehicles.
“These fraudulent documents are produced by conmen who falsely claim to be working in liaison with VID officials and in the process fleece the public of their hard earned cash. In this context, members of the public are warned not to fall prey to marauding conmen,” he said.
Mr Goliati begged to differ, adding: “We have drivers with various health ailments and they fraudulently acquire medical reports so that they are given a job or to avoid trouble with the police.
“Many have eyesight problems while others have mental illnesses of varying degrees. Some even have epileptic problems. But we also have people who are drinking and driving, some even take drugs, so that also compromises their judgment and contribute to human error.”
The Zimbabwe Optometry Association recently released startling statistics after conducting a free driver eye screening exercise in Harare. The statistics showed that half of the screened drivers showed signs of visual impairment.
ZOA president Mr Richard Maveneka said they screened 200 drivers from major transport companies over two days.
He said of the 100 with signs of visual impairment, nearly 30 had poor eyesight and should not have been driving without corrective lenses.
