Selma Ikela
Windhoek-Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) wants to find out what causes the high number of vehicle accidents that have been recorded in the Khomas, Otjozondjupa, Erongo, Oshana and Oshikoto regions. These are also the regions with the highest fatalities and injuries from vehicle accidents.
MVA now wants to identify causes and factors of vehicle accidents in these most affected five regions in order to find the best way to address the predicament.
The Kavango East and West regions were added to the list of the regions to be investigated due to the high number of pedestrian-related crashes recorded annually in those two regions.
MVA says for the three years between 2015 and 2017, the Otjozondjupa Region recorded the highest fatalities with 297 deaths, followed by the Khomas Region with 287 fatalities, Oshikoto Region – 212 fatalities, Erongo Region – 188 fatalities, and Oshana Region – 185 fatalities.
The regions were identified through the data collected from the MVA call centre.
“The gloomy picture presented by these regions is what informed the fund to carry out a research in these regions to understand the root causes of crashes in these regions so as to effectively address the current predicament,” stated MVA Fund spokesperson, Mona-Liza Garises.
Garises said the distribution of crash types for the period under review shows that roll-overs, collisions and pedestrian-related crashes accounted for the highest number of crashes in all the six regions.
Statistics presented by MVA Fund indicate that between 2015 and 2017 Khomas recorded 4,686 crashes, Erongo 1,431 crashes, Otjozondjupa 1,152 crashes, Oshana 1,176 crashes, Oshikoto 747 and Kavango East and West 507 crashes. Injuries from vehicle crashes in these regions were recorded to be highest in Khomas with 6,858 injuries, Erongo 2,350, Otjozondjupa 2,330, Oshana 1,886, and Oshikoto 1,513, while Kavango East and West recorded a combined 673 injuries.
It is in this regard that the MVA has called for expression of interest from registered and qualified firms to carry out an in-depth retro and prospective study to identify causes and factors of accidents in these seven regions and to address the current predicament. The study is expected to take about a year.
“The selected researcher will, therefore, be expected to carry out an in-depth retro and prospective study in order to identify the causes, contributory and risk factors leading to road traffic crashes in Namibia. The researcher will further focus on the correlation between human vehicles, road and environment aspects that lead to these crashes,” MVA said in the invitation for expression of interest.
Garises said based on the findings, the researcher will provide recommendations on appropriate countermeasures and strategies that could be used to improve road safety in Namibia.