Police records at Mponela police station indicate that six road accidents were recorded while Dowa Police station recorded seven road accidents in the district.

This alarming number of accidents in the district has shocked Dowa District Commissioner, Alex Mdooko who has attributed the accidents to reckless driving and speeding due to excessive beer drinking.

However, Mdooko suggests that more road sign posts should be mounted along the roads especially at Mponela to reduce the accidents.

“This is very alarming,  most of these road accidents are happening because of speeding and reckless driving where drivers are driving while drunk,  there is need to put more road signs to curb the problem,” Mdooko said.

Meanwhile, Traditional Authority Chiwere is taken aback by the sad news saying loss of lives through such accidents retards community and country development.

“When such lives are lost, community or even a country does not develop even ourselves as Chiefs do not have enough subjects to lead in our areas,” he complained.

While confirming the alarming number of accidents in the district, Dowa Police publicist Sub-inspector Gladson M'bumpha told Zodiak Tuesday that police are not just staying idle but have intensified awareness campaigns on the need for road users and motorists to follow road safety measures to reduce the accidents.

“We have lined up a number of awareness campaigns to both road users and motorists to follow road safety measures to reduce accidents which in most cases are caused by failure by drivers to follow road safety measures,” he said.

Most accidents in Dowa occur on M1 road that passes through Mponela Trade Centre,  Dzaleka -Dowa-Chezi road and M5 road from Lilongwe to Salima.