KIGALI, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan authorities on Sunday vowed to take tough measures on offenders of traffic rules to curb the rising number of road accidents across the country.

The new traffic law, which will soon be promulgated, introduces stringent penalties against abuse of traffic rules, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, minister of state in charge of transport in the Ministry of Infrastructure, said at the launch of the road safety week and celebrations marking Africa Road Safety Day in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda.

He urged traffic police and all transport agencies to work together to ensure sanity prevails on Rwandan roads.

"From now on, the police and the authorities in the transport sector will be acting tough on motorists caught violating traffic rules," he said.

The number of road accidents is rising due to violation of traffic rules, Police Inspector General Dan Munyuza told the event.

Between January and September this year, road accidents in the central African country claimed the lives of 437 people and injured 662 people, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Despite awareness campaigns, accidents caused by reckless driving persist, Munyuza said.

Most of the reported accidents, especially in weekends, were related to drunk driving and violation of traffic rules, and 50 percent of them involve motorcycle taxi operators, cyclists and pedestrians, he said.

African Road Safety Day, which falls on Nov. 18 and is observed across the continent, seeks to offer an opportunity to draw attention to road accidents and traffic safety.

The day, launched on Nov. 18, 2012, in Ethiopia, has become an important tool in Africa's efforts to reduce road casualties, according to the World Health Organization. Enditem

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