Hey Zimbos, Can You Stop Driving Like You’re Important Because You’re Not And It’s (Literally) Killing Us

It’s been true for some time but Zimbabwe is once again one of the worst countries in terms of road fatalities and given how people drive here, I understand why. You can (and should) blame poor road infrastructure all you want but that doesn’t take away from the fact that a lot of you are terrible drivers. Overspeeding, ignoring right of way and controlled intersections, dangerous overtaking and undertaking with the expectation that others make space for you, faulty signals and when they work, they’re used incorrectly, and the list goes on and on.

I just have one question—where are you going that’s so important it necessitates driving like a lunatic? You’re rarely on time and you can’t be having emergencies every single day of the week. Do realize that cars are powerful machines which need to be driven with care? If you don’t, you should get your license revoked. Concerning combis and mishikashika, the only reason I tolerate them (even though I shouldn’t) is that all levels of government have failed to provide adequate public transportation despite the massive demand for it. Once that happens, I don’t give a shit about what happens to those cars and their drivers since they’re nothing short of a complete menace.

Honestly, I wish the public transport situation was better. We can’t be spending all this money on petrol when most can’t afford a car. Addressing this needs a serious commitment to public transport as well as a policy geared towards better land usage so that people wouldn’t feel the need to drive as much as they can walk, cycle and take transit to where they need to go. Making more roads isn’t a solution since that means more people will choose to be a menace. Rather, the roads should be maintained and given traffic calming features so limit people’s speed, especially in urban areas. Among other things, the way we drive is one of the reason I’m so embarrased to be Zimbabwean. We can’t continue like this.