The Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety of the Uganda Police Force has registered fewer road crashes this festive season compared to the last season.

SP Michael Kananura, the Spokesperson of the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, during a press conference on December 27, 2023, attributed the reduction in road crashes to the interventions by the police that started much earlier than usual.

Kananura said that, in a period of three days (from December 24-26, 2023), the police registered several road crashes in which 33 people lost their lives and 156 sustained serious injuries.

“Among the fatalities registered, pedestrians and riders constituted 85%, most of these being from upcountry. Highways were, however, peaceful,” Kananura said.

He cited one major road crash, which he termed a single fatal crash after it left 10 people dead. The accident occurred at Towei Corner Kapsindi, along Kapchorwa-Mbale Road, on December 26, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.

“On December 26, 2023, at 16 hours, we registered an accident involving a motor vehicle, reg. No. UBD 074J Prado Land Cruiser, at Towei Corner Kapsindi, along Kapchorwa-Mbale Road, that claimed the lives of five people from one family, who included four children and their mother, plus four other people and the driver,” Kananura said.

According to the 2022 Annual Crime Report, the country registered 20,394 cases of road accidents in 2022.