Suspension and revocation of driver's licenses are among the new penalties proposed in a draft law, which could soon be tabled before parliament in a bid to address the rising number of road accidents, Rwanda National Police (RNP) has told the Senate. Since 2020, a total of 1,971 people have been killed in about 21,400 accidents, according to figures presented to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security. POLL: @Rwandapolice says errant drivers could start losing their driving licenses if a new bill, which will soon be tabled before parliament, is approved. READ: https://t.co/6lmL1a3WMe What do you think? — The New Times (Rwanda) (@NewTimesRwanda) December 1, 2022 The number of accidents rose from about 4,000 in 2020 to 8,000 in 2021. Some 8,500 have been recorded since January this year. ALSO READ: Police launch probe into ‘HOWO’ trucks after fatal accidents The draft law is currently in the Ministry of Interior. Gerard Mpayimana, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Traffic and Road Safety Department, told Senators that the rising number of road accidents was due in part to old laws. “The law we use today was passed in 1987, which does not consider the things such as the offences committed on telephones while driving, for example answering calls, writing text messages, or watching videos,” Mpayimana said. ALSO READ: Police impounds 199 vehicles without mechanical inspection He said that some of the scenarios the new law could deal with include those wherein multiple offences are committed in a single incident. Mpayimana added that among many other things the new law will regulate driving schools and garages, a sub-sector which have been blamed for poor training and maintenance.
