Police say ten people have died in various road accidents that occurred across the country during the Mother’s Day holiday.

National Police deputy spokesperson Alfred Chimthere described the number as worrying, noting that it marks a significant increase compared to last year’s Mother’s Day holiday, when three people lost their lives in similar circumstances.

“Seven road accidents occurred on Mother’s Day; six in the Central Region and one in the Eastern Region. Four of these, all in the Central Region, were fatal and claimed ten lives,” said Chimthere.

He attributed the accidents mainly to reckless driving, particularly over-speeding, and called on motorists to exercise caution and adhere to traffic rules.

Meanwhile, the Road Safety Alert Foundation (ROSAF) has expressed concern over the rise in road accidents during the holiday.

ROSAF Executive Director Joel Jere blamed the increase on weak enforcement of traffic laws.

“Traffic police officers need to be very strict during this period. If a vehicle is not roadworthy, it should be impounded. And if a driver is suspected to be drunk, they should not be allowed to continue driving,” Jere said.

In the past three years, Mother’s Day road accidents have shown a fluctuating trend, with 2023 recording the highest figure — 18 deaths from nine accidents.