Source: Hit-and-run scourge: Our roads are becoming crime scenes –Newsday Zimbabwe
ON Thursday, police said they were investigating a hit-and-run road traffic accident which occurred earlier in the week near Mbuyazwe Flats, Barbourfields in Mzilikazi, Bulawayo.
A motorist driving a foreign-registered Toyota Quantum struck a 29-year-old man who was walking along the roadside.
The victim sustained head injuries and was taken to Mpilo Central Hospital.
The driver did not stop.
That incident, disturbing as it is, is not an isolated case.
Only days earlier, police reported another hit-and-run — this time fatal — along Borrowdale Road near Borrowdale Race Course.
A man died on the spot after being hit by an unknown motorist who sped off without offering assistance or reporting the accident.
Last Friday again, police said they were probing yet another fatal hit-and-run which had occurred along the Kwekwe–Gokwe Road.
A foreign-registered Nissan NP300 struck two pedestrians who had just disembarked from a bus.
One died instantly; the other sustained severe head injuries.
As in the other cases, the motorist fled.
Earlier still, on January 4, police in Murereka said they were investigating a suspected hit-and-run accident in which a woman was found dead along the Lion’s Den–Mhangura Road.
Taken together, these cases point to a deeply worrying trend.
Zimbabwe’s roads are no longer just dangerous because of poor infrastructure or reckless driving — they are becoming crime scenes, marked by callousness and a shocking disregard for human life.
Hit-and-run accidents are not mere traffic violations.
They are criminal acts.
Fleeing the scene after injuring or killing someone shows a moral collapse that goes beyond negligence.
It speaks to a growing culture of impunity, where motorists believe they can escape accountability, particularly when driving foreign-registered vehicles or under the cover of darkness.
Motorists must be reminded that the law is clear.
In the event of an accident, a driver is required to stop, render assistance and report the matter to the police.
Failing to do so compounds the offence and often turns what could have been a tragic accident into a serious criminal case.
No fear of inconvenience, arrest or vehicle impounding justifies abandoning a fellow human being on the road, injured or dying.
There are practical issues that must also be addressed.
Many of these accidents occur at night or in poor visibility conditions.
Motorists must ensure their vehicles are roadworthy, particularly headlights and brake lights.
Driving with faulty lights is not a minor defect — it is a death sentence waiting to be carried out.
Traffic police officers must be more vigilant in checking vehicle lighting and penalising motorists whose headlights are dysfunctional.
Law enforcement must also step up road safety awareness campaigns.
These should not be seasonal or cosmetic exercises conducted only during public holidays.
Continuous education on road safety, pedestrian rights and driver responsibilities is urgently needed, especially in high-risk areas.
Infrastructure, too, plays a role.
Poor road markings, faded lane lines and missing signage make already dangerous roads even deadlier.
Authorities must prioritise clear road markings, reflective signage and proper pedestrian crossings, particularly along busy highways and urban roads.
However, responsibility does not rest with motorists alone.
Pedestrians must also observe traffic rules.
Walking too close to the carriageway, crossing roads carelessly or wearing dark clothing at night increases the risk of accidents.
Pedestrians should walk well off the road shoulders where possible and wear reflective clothing at night to improve visibility.
Still, none of these precautions excuses hit-and-run behaviour.
Leaving an injured person bleeding on the tarmac is not an accident — it is abandonment.
If this trend is allowed to continue unchecked, it will further erode public confidence in road safety and law enforcement.
Lives will continue to be lost needlessly, and families will be left grieving without justice.
Zimbabwe must send a clear message: our roads are not lawless zones.
Those who hit and run will be pursued, exposed and punished.
Human life must matter — on the road and beyond.
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