Zambia Records 859 Road Deaths as Traffic Accidents Rise 27% in Third Quarter

Zambia recorded 12,865 road traffic accidents between July 1 and September 30, 2026, resulting in 859 deaths and 2,144 serious injuries, according to the Zambia Police Service. Police classified 747 incidents as fatal accidents, 1,202 as serious-injury accidents, and 2,706 as slight-injury accidents, leaving 3,906 people with minor injuries; another 8,210 incidents involved property damage only.

Lusaka Province recorded the most accidents at 6,325, followed by Copperbelt with 2,378 and Central Province with 1,194. The remaining provinces reported 698 accidents in Southern, 632 in North-Western, 413 in Eastern, 381 in Muchinga, 319 in Luapula, 273 in Western and 252 in Northern Province.

Police Spokesperson Chipo Kaitisha highlighted the impact on children under 16, with 560 child casualties recorded during the quarter: 91 deaths, 186 serious injuries and 283 minor injuries. The victims comprised 350 boys and men and 210 girls and women, with pedestrians and motor vehicle passengers accounting for most of the child casualties.

Hit-and-run incidents also remained a concern, with 410 cases recorded, including 68 fatal accidents, 119 involving serious injuries, 95 resulting in slight injuries and 128 causing property damage only. Kaitisha warned that fleeing the scene can delay emergency assistance for victims and complicate investigations by making it harder to identify the responsible driver. Compared with the third quarter of 2025, total accidents rose by 2,739, or approximately 27.1 per cent, from 10,126, while fatal accidents increased from 583 to 747 and deaths climbed from 753 to 859.

Road traffic offences also increased, rising from 49,564 in the third quarter of 2025 to 50,100 in the same period of 2026. However, revenue from admission-of-guilt fines fell by K3,372,902, declining from K22,557,416 to K19,184,514. Preliminary analysis identified human error as the leading contributing factor, with excessive speed linked to 3,014 cases, followed by misjudging clearance distance at 1,897, failure to keep to the nearside at 1,571, cutting in at 1,231, and failure to obey traffic signs and signals at 1,163.

In response, the Zambia Police Service said it would intensify road safety awareness campaigns, strengthen enforcement, promote pedestrian safety and child protection, and work with stakeholders to investigate accidents, particularly hit-and-run cases. Kaitisha urged motorists to avoid speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or using mobile phones behind the wheel, maintain roadworthy vehicles, and ensure occupants wear seat belts.