By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
As the festive season approaches, Sierra Leoneans prepare for celebrations filled with joy, family reunions, and cultural festivities. However, this time of happiness often brings a darker side, with an alarming rise in accidents. Each year, many lives are lost, and others are left injured due to road crashes, drownings, and other incidents that could often be avoided. Identifying accident-prone areas and addressing the causes is crucial to ensuring a safer and more enjoyable festive season.
Highways such as the Freetown-Waterloo highway, the Bo-Kenema road, and the Makeni-Kono route are notorious for accidents during this period. The increased movement of people traveling to their hometowns, coupled with reckless driving, speeding, and poor road conditions, makes these roads particularly dangerous. Similarly, popular beaches like Lumley Beach and Bureh Beach, which attract large crowds for celebrations, often see tragic incidents such as drownings due to a lack of safety measures, alcohol consumption, and overcrowding.
Marketplaces and urban centers are not spared. Overcrowding in places like Freetown’s central business district and bustling markets in Bo and Makeni heighten the risk of stampedes, petty crimes, and even fire accidents caused by faulty electrical connections. Recreational spots and bars also become accident zones as the combination of alcohol consumption and late-night activities often leads to road crashes and other mishaps.
The rise in accidents can be attributed to several factors, including reckless driving, poor road conditions, alcohol and substance abuse, and general negligence. Speeding, overloading, and a lack of adherence to traffic rules by drivers often result in fatal crashes. Unlit roads and potholes worsen the situation, especially in rural areas. The celebratory mood frequently leads to excessive drinking, impairing judgment and increasing accident risks, while many pedestrians and revelers fail to exercise caution.
To address these challenges, the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority must intensify public awareness campaigns and deploy more traffic officers to regulate busy areas. Local authorities should prioritize beach safety by stationing lifeguards and providing necessary equipment, while bars and entertainment venues should encourage responsible drinking and the use of designated drivers. Community vigilance and collective responsibility are also vital in educating residents about safety risks and organizing initiatives to prevent tragedies.
The festive season is meant to be a time of joy and celebration, not mourning. By taking proactive measures and addressing accident-prone areas, Sierra Leone can ensure that this period becomes memorable for all the right reasons. Let us celebrate responsibly and prioritize safety to protect lives and make the festivities truly joyous.