By Surihe Gaomas
WINDHOEK
Drunken driving and overspeeding continue to top the list of factors that contribute to fatal road accidents on the country’s national roads.
According to the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund’s Xupifa Eemwenyo 2006 survey results to be launched this morning, 31 percent of accidents are caused by drinking and driving.
In second place is speeding, standing at 26 percent, and overloading of vehicles at 17 percent.
Other contributing factors include collisions with animals and the use of mobile phones while driving, while tyre bursts and other causes such as overtaking at blind spots, fatigue and trucks driving at night stood at a total of 26 percent.
Quite surprisingly, the survey reveals “some drivers/road users might be contemplating suicide thereby posing a danger to other road users”.
Last year 565 accidents occurred, killing 94 people, seriously injuring 166 with 212 escaping with minor injuries.
Oshana Region recorded the highest number of accidents, followed by Khomas, Erongo and Ohangwena regions.
The 12-page report also states that in an effort to reduce road carnage participants felt that law enforcement agents should intensify campaigns in the form of mobile roadblocks and highway patrols on all major roads.
It turns out that the traditional permanent roadblocks are few and far between and therefore have little impact on road users’ attitudes during the rest of their journey.
The one area in which Xupifa Eemwenyo has made considerable progress is that of awareness campaigns aimed at educating the public about road safety.
However, this has not curbed the high rate of road accidents as a whole.
“Statistics revealed that more than 80 percent of people interviewed (for the survey) were knowledgeable on the campaign (Xupifa Eemwenyo), yet hundreds if not thousands of lives are still lost annually,” concludes the report.
It appears that although the road safety campaign did not succeed in reducing the occurrence of fatal road accidents, success may be claimed in other areas, such as prompt medical response and awareness creation.
It was further recommended that concerted efforts are needed for stakeholders to invest in influencing “positive road user behaviour”.
Such efforts include stringent law enforcement measures supported by a good judicial system that ensures that such offenders are punished accordingly.
In view of this, the survey further acknowledged that the justice system is too lenient towards road traffic offenders, especially in the absence of stiffer fines.
It was therefore suggested to review all traffic laws and introduce strict and severe punishment for serious traffic offences such as drinking and driving, as well as speeding.
It was finally suggested that the road safety concept be introduced into the school curriculum as a subject.
The Xupifa Eemwenyo campaign under the MVA Fund was introduced in 2005 with the aim of reducing fatalities, injuries and trauma on the country’s national roads, and creating road safety awareness among road users.