Another life has been lost on our roads following a fatal accident in the Western Division yesterday.
Assistant Commissioner of Police and Chief Operations Officer Rusiate Tudravu has expressed his disappointment that despite numerous pleas for the need to be safe on our roads, some drivers continue to do as they please and unfortunately another life has been lost.
His comments follow another tragic incident where a woman died following a motor vehicle accident that occurred at around 1330hrs at the Veiseisei Road in Lautoka yesterday.
The minivan whilst heading to Lautoka overturned three times and came to a stop after hitting the railing of a bridge.
She was rushed to the Lautoka Hospital but unfortunately died in the afternoon. Three other passengers were treated for injuries and later sent home. The driver is yet to be questioned.
ACP Tudravu is also appealing for information that could help identify the victim who is an i-taukei woman believed to be aged between 30-40 years and had boarded the minivan from Namaka.
Anyone with information is requested to call the Divisional Traffic Officer West on 9905 633.
As investigations continue, ACP Tudravu says road safety is everyone’s responsibility and people need to take the issue seriously.
“Forty five lives have been lost on our roads already this year and families have had to endure the pain and suffering of knowing they will never be able to spend precious valuable time with the one they love”.
“This is why we have been persistent in issuing advice about safety in order to prevent further loss of life; however reports indicate a blatant disregard of road rules with drivers and pedestrians choosing to ignore us and gamble with their lives”.
He adds the daily reports of speeding and the non-compliance of road regulations is indicative of how people view road safety.
“Speeding, drink driving and the non-compliance of seat belt regulations are just some of the areas of concern for us, as these are the leading contributors to road accidents and fatalities on our roads and yet we continue to receive high number of bookings on a daily basis”.
“This from our point of view is a sign that people don’t value their safety and their lives because if they were serious about this issue then we should be recording a decline in bookings”.
ACP Tudravu says we are now entering the festive season and movement is expected to increase which it is vital for people to adopt a change of mindset about road safety.
“It’s never easy to receive reports of road fatalities and relay the tragic news to one’s family, which is why every Fijian must learn that road safety is everyone’s responsibility and that they can prevent accidents from happening”.
“Let’s work together and try to prevent further loss of life this festive season”.
MEDIA RELEASE