Today is the official beginning of the road safety campaign under the auspices of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), in partnership with the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund and other stakeholders, especially the private sector whose contribution to this campaign, financially, materially and otherwise can be most valuable.
As important as this campaign is, however, not all players seem to be fully embracing it particularly the media, because the MVA Fund and the National Road Safety Council have for the past two weeks been active in this regard to mobilise and sensitise the general public.
And they are doing this to have an early start in view of the festive season that may practically start early this year, beginning November 28 with the national polls, a period when schools may have closed and all national roads may be becoming busy with parents rushing their little and young loved and precious ones to various holiday and home destinations.
But while this is being the case, important players that can play a very instructive and constructive role, especially in the mobilisation of the general public, that is the media, seem to have been ominously silent, if not aloof and inactive in this regard.
Needless to say as much as the National Road Safety Council, and immediate partners, one of them surely being the media, may be doing much, the role of the media cannot be overemphaised.
But it is not late for the media to fully and actively come to the party in this noble cause, because the ultimate in terms of reducing the carnage on our road lies with public awareness. It is a known fact that Namibia has amongst the highest road accident fatalities in the world, with available statistics showing deaths of 557 people only from this January to last month.
More alarming is that this figure represents 229 people between the age of 16 and 35 years.
This is obviously the crop of the Namibian society, in terms of fresh energy and brains, among others. Thus road safety, it goes without saying, must and should be the concern of every- body.
According to the MVA, this year alone road accidents have cost close to N$200 million in medical expenses. And at this rate by the end of the year the cost may have surpassed the N$200 million mark.
But this is only the tip of the iceberg if one has to consider the fact that those losing their lives are what one may describe as the most productive members of society, those aged between 16 and 35 years.
Not only that the country is losing her most productive forces but also families seem to be losing their human assets in this regard. That is how grave the situation is, which calls for consciousness and conscientiousness on the part of all and sundry, not least the media.
And through it the general public to very much augment the commendable efforts of the National Road Safety Council and the MVA.
As road safety awareness among the general public can be a very important, if not the most important and vital ingredient of the road safety campaign.
Especially in view of the continued increase in the number of road accidents on our roads, which according to the MVA with 633 people killed in 2013, an increase of 14 percent from 2012.
“One thing that we must remember is that road crashes know no boundaries. They affect everyone irrespective of colour, creed, race or economic status. This means that we are all at risk, and therefore each one of us should stand up and actively play our role to ensure that our roads are a safer place,” the CEO of MVA, Rosalia Martins Hausiku, has recently been quoted as saying.
One cannot agree less or more with her, because surely to reduce the carnage on our roads cannot be the effort of a few individuals or instances.
As much, it cannot solely be a matter of how many millions the private sector pumps into the road safety campaign.
Largely and more instrumental, it is and should be a matter of a general awareness of the public, because the general public for sure include both road safety awareness of both motorists and the general public.
Thus the buzzword as the festive season approaches is that charity begins at home.
And such charity that must begin at home is nothing less or more than everyone of us being aware of the need for, and importance and benefit of, road safety awareness.
The road safety campaign for this year is under the theme: “Your destination, a reward for safe driving. Pledge to arrive alive!”
This is a theme that each and everyone of us must not only internalise and embrace, but also live and drive by, as well as ensure that those we entrust our vehicles with, live and drive by this theme.
Not only for this upcoming festive season, but ever whenever, when and where we find ourselves on our public roads.
Kae Matundu-
Tjiparuro