MVA wants reckless drivers’ licences revoked
Taking aim at speeding, drunk driving
Road safety is not only a matter of statistics and regulations; it is a matter of human lives, families and communities, Martins-Hausiku said.
The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund is considering urging government to revoke reckless drivers’ licences.
This according to its CEO Rosalia Martins-Hausiku, who noted that the last Women in Road Safety conference, held last year, resolved to revoke a driver’s licence on its holder’s fourth offence.
This, she said, will help protect the lives of Namibians and maintain road safety.
She made the remarks at the fourth Women in Road Safety conference, which kicked off in Oshakati yesterday and draws to a close today.
It is being held under the theme ‘Women empowering communities for safer roads’.
“We want the licences taken away from the drivers on their fourth offences. This is still under discussion with the relevant stakeholders before a decision can be made,” Martins-Hausiku said.
According to the MVA Fund, these offences would include: Speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while using a cellphone and not following the rules of the road.
The conference aims to gather like-minded stakeholders to engage in discussions on the challenges surrounding road safety in Namibia and to offer solutions to save lives and reduce injuries on the roads.
Not just statistics
Martins-Hausiku said road safety is not merely a matter of statistics and regulations; it is a matter of human lives, families and communities.
“It is about the individuals who embark on journeys every day with the expectation of returning home safely to their loved ones. Sadly, this is not always the case, as road accidents continue to take a devastating toll on our society.”
Empowering communities for safer roads requires collective effort, she said, adding that it calls for proactive engagement, education and the promotion of responsible behaviour on our roads.
The CEO said this involves creating awareness and advocating for change in road infrastructure, vehicle safety standards and legislation.
“But most importantly, it necessitates the empowerment of individuals within our communities to take ownership of their safety and the safety of others.”
Fundamental condition
In a speech read on her behalf by Oshana governor Elia Irimari, international relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said road safety is a fundamental condition for people to access work, education, healthcare and social services, including one’s social network of family, friends and forms of entertainment.
According to Nandi-Ndaitwah – who is the patron of the Women in Road Safety conference – road safety is linked to women’s economic and social empowerment, poverty eradication and safety from gender-based violence.
“It helps determine the extent of their freedom of choice and movement from one place to the other,” she said, adding that statistics from the MVA Fund show that men are three times more likely to be killed in reported accidents.
“The sudden, adverse and long-term impact on household survival from the loss of the man's income and the burden of caring for the man's lifelong disabilities may thus fall disproportionately on women, because they are the primary breadwinner. This illustrates the interaction between road safety and poverty and the burden imposed on women.”
She further opined that the negative impact of road crashes goes beyond physical hurt - there is a range of other hidden costs such as psychological, social and economic consequences.
This according to its CEO Rosalia Martins-Hausiku, who noted that the last Women in Road Safety conference, held last year, resolved to revoke a driver’s licence on its holder’s fourth offence.
This, she said, will help protect the lives of Namibians and maintain road safety.
She made the remarks at the fourth Women in Road Safety conference, which kicked off in Oshakati yesterday and draws to a close today.
It is being held under the theme ‘Women empowering communities for safer roads’.
“We want the licences taken away from the drivers on their fourth offences. This is still under discussion with the relevant stakeholders before a decision can be made,” Martins-Hausiku said.
According to the MVA Fund, these offences would include: Speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while using a cellphone and not following the rules of the road.
The conference aims to gather like-minded stakeholders to engage in discussions on the challenges surrounding road safety in Namibia and to offer solutions to save lives and reduce injuries on the roads.
Not just statistics
Martins-Hausiku said road safety is not merely a matter of statistics and regulations; it is a matter of human lives, families and communities.
“It is about the individuals who embark on journeys every day with the expectation of returning home safely to their loved ones. Sadly, this is not always the case, as road accidents continue to take a devastating toll on our society.”
Empowering communities for safer roads requires collective effort, she said, adding that it calls for proactive engagement, education and the promotion of responsible behaviour on our roads.
The CEO said this involves creating awareness and advocating for change in road infrastructure, vehicle safety standards and legislation.
“But most importantly, it necessitates the empowerment of individuals within our communities to take ownership of their safety and the safety of others.”
Fundamental condition
In a speech read on her behalf by Oshana governor Elia Irimari, international relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said road safety is a fundamental condition for people to access work, education, healthcare and social services, including one’s social network of family, friends and forms of entertainment.
According to Nandi-Ndaitwah – who is the patron of the Women in Road Safety conference – road safety is linked to women’s economic and social empowerment, poverty eradication and safety from gender-based violence.
“It helps determine the extent of their freedom of choice and movement from one place to the other,” she said, adding that statistics from the MVA Fund show that men are three times more likely to be killed in reported accidents.
“The sudden, adverse and long-term impact on household survival from the loss of the man's income and the burden of caring for the man's lifelong disabilities may thus fall disproportionately on women, because they are the primary breadwinner. This illustrates the interaction between road safety and poverty and the burden imposed on women.”
She further opined that the negative impact of road crashes goes beyond physical hurt - there is a range of other hidden costs such as psychological, social and economic consequences.
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