By Mathias Haufiku
RUNDU – Traffic accidents ended the lives of 508 road users and injured 5 388 so far this year, according to statistics provided to New Era by the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.
Eight hundred and ninety of the road accidents were pedestrian, 689 were rollovers, 90 sideswipe collisions, 116 head-on collisions and 170 head-rear collisions with Khomas Region topping the list.
Although road accidents received significant attention from stakeholders and attempting to mitigate it, traffic accidents continue to increase rapidly with the number of crashes reported to the MVA Fund Call Centre from January to October this year standing at a staggering 3 203.
Meanwhile Khomas Region has recorded the highest number of crashes at 1 246, followed by Erongo, Otjozondjupa and Oshana with 386, 276 and 263 respectively.
Omaheke, Kunene and Zambezi regions recorded the least crashes with 57, 62 and 68 respectively.
If statistics are anything to go by, says the MVA, there is a clear indication that accidents and their consequences are on an alarming increase.
To prevent the worst-case scenario, MVA says it plans to roll out a festive season road campaign in collaboration with the National Road Safety Council (NRSC).
“The festive season is overwhelmed with loss of lives and injuries due to road crashes as road activities increase when people travel to all parts of the country for the festive break,” said the Fund’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Kapena Tjombonde.
“The aim will be focused on the consequences of speeding, ”stated Tjombonde.
“Rollovers have been identified as one of the contributing factors to road crashes in Namibia. It is difficult to establish the cause of rollovers, but should motorists maintain the regulated speed, a reasonable person will be able to control the vehicle if something sudden happens on the road,” Tjombonde said.
Speaking to New Era yesterday, Kavango Regional Traffic Coordinator, Inspector John Ndumba, warned motorist to be extra cautious during the upcoming festive season and advised them to ensure that their cars are roadworthy.
“I would like to appeal to the public to try and follow the rules of the road. Drivers and pedestrians must be extra cautious. Drivers who are planning to travel must, by now already, start checking the condition of their vehicles by making sure their tyres are in a good condition and more so the wipers of their cars seeing that the rainy season has started,” cautioned Ndumba.
He warned drivers not to overload or over-speed.
“I would like to urge road users, especially public transport operators, not to overload or over-speed just because they want to make more money. Some bus drivers do not even want to rest, they just want to be on the road the whole day driving up and down without considering the fact that they are overworked,” he said.
Ndumba said such tendencies are the major contributors to head-on collisions because drivers who drive endlessly eventually suffer from fatigue and end up dosing off behind the steering wheel.
“We have put measures in place at our checkpoints where we will be closely monitoring bus drivers to ensure that they don’t drive more than they should. If they want to drive up and down the whole day then there must be two drivers,” he said.
Ndumba is also extremely worried about the number of pedestrian-related road crashes in the region claiming hundreds of lives annually, adding that the situation is exacerbated by the presence of bars along the Trans-Zambezi Highway.
“At every scene we attend to you will find that the deceased pedestrian was attempting to cross the road coming from a bar. We will work with our colleagues to ensure that bars operating beyond trading hours are dealt with,” stated Ndumba.
He said the traffic division would continue working close with local community leaders to sensitize community members on how to use the road.