Road safety campaign launched
The annual road safety campaign will run from 25 November to 15 January.
24 November 2020 | Local News
Veikko Nkundi; Deputy minister; “It is our duty towards the Namibian people to ensure that their lives are preserved.”
Walvis Bay
• [email protected]
The festive season road safety campaign was officially launched by the deputy minister of works and transport, Veikko Nkundi, at the Swakopmund roadblock. The minister said road safety is everyone's business.
“Sub-sectoral interventions and initiatives are commendable, but we have to dig deeper to make roads safer. We must seek quick solutions, sustainable interventions, form smart partnerships with our private sector and sustainable community initiatives within each region in Namibia.”
Nkundi underscored that a sustainably safe road traffic system is one in which the road infrastructure has been adapted to the limitations of human capacity through proper road designs in which vehicles are technically equipped to simplify driving and to give all possible protection to vulnerable human road users.
“This calls for continued efforts in which road users are continuously educated, informed and where necessary, deterred from undesirable or dangerous behaviour on our national roads. It is our duty towards the Namibian people to ensure their lives are preserved and they have safe passage on our national roads. This is only possible if we all hold hands in this noble initiative of the annual festive season road safety campaign.”
He requested all agencies, offices and individuals as well as board members of public enterprises within the sub-sector to be vigilant in their various approaches to stabilize and systematically reduce the carnage on Namibian roads by supporting the efforts of the National Road Safety Council.
Duration
Eugene Tendekule, the executive secretary of the National Road Safety Council, said the festive season campaign runs from 25 November until 15 January.
“The campaign will primarily focus on areas such as road user education, law enforcement and emergency response. Though all offences will be dealt with when detected, special attention will be placed on compliance to regulatory requirements, driver fitness, speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and emergency response.”
Tendekule said in terms of performance indicators, officers per shift will be expected to screen at least 50 vehicles and drivers per day over 30 days and at 20 traffic checkpoints situated mainly on the B1 and B2 roads.
“A total of 150 000 vehicles and driver screenings are expected to be performed. Emergency response teams will be deployed at strategic places on the B1 and B2 to render the required Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) when called upon to do so.”
Emergency Response bases will be set up from 15 December 2020 until 15 January 2021 at Mariental, Wilhelmstal (between Karibib and Okahandja), Farm Sukses (between Otjiwarongo and Okahandja) and Farm Etunda (between Otjiwarongo and Otavi).
Tendekule said the Namibian Defence Force will also give support to the Emergency Response efforts by providing three ambulances for the Satellite Emergency Response Stations with six personnel to man these stations.
High cost
According to Eliphas !Owos-Ôab, the chairperson of the National Road Safety Council, road traffic deaths and injuries cost countries 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP).
“Between 1 January 2020 and 15 November 2020 Namibia recorded 8 437 crashes, 915 slight injuries, 574 serious injuries and 193 deaths.”
In terms of fatalities, Otjozondjupa recorded the highest (35), followed by Kavango East (15), Kunene (14), Khomas with the highest crashes (4 076) and 13 fatalities, Erongo (12 fatalities), ||Kharas (11), Omusati and Zambezi (10), Omaheke (9), Hardap and Oshana (8) and Kavango East (6).
• [email protected]
The festive season road safety campaign was officially launched by the deputy minister of works and transport, Veikko Nkundi, at the Swakopmund roadblock. The minister said road safety is everyone's business.
“Sub-sectoral interventions and initiatives are commendable, but we have to dig deeper to make roads safer. We must seek quick solutions, sustainable interventions, form smart partnerships with our private sector and sustainable community initiatives within each region in Namibia.”
Nkundi underscored that a sustainably safe road traffic system is one in which the road infrastructure has been adapted to the limitations of human capacity through proper road designs in which vehicles are technically equipped to simplify driving and to give all possible protection to vulnerable human road users.
“This calls for continued efforts in which road users are continuously educated, informed and where necessary, deterred from undesirable or dangerous behaviour on our national roads. It is our duty towards the Namibian people to ensure their lives are preserved and they have safe passage on our national roads. This is only possible if we all hold hands in this noble initiative of the annual festive season road safety campaign.”
He requested all agencies, offices and individuals as well as board members of public enterprises within the sub-sector to be vigilant in their various approaches to stabilize and systematically reduce the carnage on Namibian roads by supporting the efforts of the National Road Safety Council.
Duration
Eugene Tendekule, the executive secretary of the National Road Safety Council, said the festive season campaign runs from 25 November until 15 January.
“The campaign will primarily focus on areas such as road user education, law enforcement and emergency response. Though all offences will be dealt with when detected, special attention will be placed on compliance to regulatory requirements, driver fitness, speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and emergency response.”
Tendekule said in terms of performance indicators, officers per shift will be expected to screen at least 50 vehicles and drivers per day over 30 days and at 20 traffic checkpoints situated mainly on the B1 and B2 roads.
“A total of 150 000 vehicles and driver screenings are expected to be performed. Emergency response teams will be deployed at strategic places on the B1 and B2 to render the required Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) when called upon to do so.”
Emergency Response bases will be set up from 15 December 2020 until 15 January 2021 at Mariental, Wilhelmstal (between Karibib and Okahandja), Farm Sukses (between Otjiwarongo and Okahandja) and Farm Etunda (between Otjiwarongo and Otavi).
Tendekule said the Namibian Defence Force will also give support to the Emergency Response efforts by providing three ambulances for the Satellite Emergency Response Stations with six personnel to man these stations.
High cost
According to Eliphas !Owos-Ôab, the chairperson of the National Road Safety Council, road traffic deaths and injuries cost countries 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP).
“Between 1 January 2020 and 15 November 2020 Namibia recorded 8 437 crashes, 915 slight injuries, 574 serious injuries and 193 deaths.”
In terms of fatalities, Otjozondjupa recorded the highest (35), followed by Kavango East (15), Kunene (14), Khomas with the highest crashes (4 076) and 13 fatalities, Erongo (12 fatalities), ||Kharas (11), Omusati and Zambezi (10), Omaheke (9), Hardap and Oshana (8) and Kavango East (6).
Classifieds