Taking road safety seriously
Enzo Amuele
OTJIWARONGO
Members of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) visited the office Otjozondjupa governor, James Uerika, last week to brief him on activities being carried out to create awareness on road safety.
According to NRSC head of communications Ambrosius Tierspoor, accidents have increased compared to 2020. Car crashes have increased by 8%, injuries by 16% and fatalities by 16%.
“Last year we had 14 people who died by this time, and this year we have 26 deaths recorded already,” he said, adding that in 2019, Namibia recorded 53 deaths over the same period.
Tierspoor said the numbers decreased last year due to Covid-19 regulations and lockdowns imposed.
Uerika urged road users to drive safely and to adhere to road regulations during the festive season.
He said the situation on the country’s roads is worsening and that the attitudes and behaviour of drivers play a major role on the road.
“You find a driver who [leaves] late and wants to reach their destination faster and as a result a lot can go wrong. Other individuals are under the influence of substances and vehicles are not road worthy. Those are just some of the contributing factors to accidents,” he said.
Dual carriageway
Commending the NRSC for the campaigns it carries out to educate road users, Uerika suggested that a possible solution to accidents, especially on the Okahandja-Otjiwarongo and Otjiwarongo-Otavi roads, could be constructing a dual carriageway when financial resources permit.
“We do have a serious concern between these roads. Nine regions pass though these specific roads on daily basis,” he said.
OTJIWARONGO
Members of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) visited the office Otjozondjupa governor, James Uerika, last week to brief him on activities being carried out to create awareness on road safety.
According to NRSC head of communications Ambrosius Tierspoor, accidents have increased compared to 2020. Car crashes have increased by 8%, injuries by 16% and fatalities by 16%.
“Last year we had 14 people who died by this time, and this year we have 26 deaths recorded already,” he said, adding that in 2019, Namibia recorded 53 deaths over the same period.
Tierspoor said the numbers decreased last year due to Covid-19 regulations and lockdowns imposed.
Uerika urged road users to drive safely and to adhere to road regulations during the festive season.
He said the situation on the country’s roads is worsening and that the attitudes and behaviour of drivers play a major role on the road.
“You find a driver who [leaves] late and wants to reach their destination faster and as a result a lot can go wrong. Other individuals are under the influence of substances and vehicles are not road worthy. Those are just some of the contributing factors to accidents,” he said.
Dual carriageway
Commending the NRSC for the campaigns it carries out to educate road users, Uerika suggested that a possible solution to accidents, especially on the Okahandja-Otjiwarongo and Otjiwarongo-Otavi roads, could be constructing a dual carriageway when financial resources permit.
“We do have a serious concern between these roads. Nine regions pass though these specific roads on daily basis,” he said.
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