To reduce and ultimately prevent road fatalities during the festive season, the National Road Safety Council has launched the 2024-2025 Road Safety Campaign in Tsumeb.
Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, emphasized that most road accidents are a result of user behavior.
The campaign, which began on November 15, will continue until January 17 of next year.
During a visit to the Tsumeb roadblock, Deputy Minister Nekundi engaged with motorists, encouraging them to adopt a safer mindset while driving.
“Accidents on Namibian roads are not mere incidents; they reflect our mindset. Before we drive, we often sit at home and fill out application forms—who knows who designed them? We might as well be asking, ‘Can I please cause an accident on the B1 road?’ And when we drive, we seem to pray for accidents. This is a matter of attitude,” he stated.
To address the issue of road safety, Nekundi stressed the importance of changing road user attitudes.
John Haufiku, Chief Corporate Affairs of MVA, noted.
“As a student of psychology, I can tell you that behavioral change requires multiple triggers, skills, and reinforcement to be effective and sustained. We all have a role to play.”
Last year's Festive Season Road Safety Campaign resulted in 532 crashes, 978 injuries, and 73 fatalities.
Petrus Swartz, Police Head of Traffic & Law Enforcement, reported.
“From January 1 to November 10 of this year, we have recorded 354 fatalities on Namibian roads, which is a significant concern and totally unacceptable to the Namibian Police Force.”
The campaign will focus primarily on the A1, B1, and B2 roads.
Eugene Tendekule, Executive Secretary of the NRSC, stated.
“You are all aware that the road from the airport to Okahandja has been upgraded to a freeway. As a result, this road section is now categorized as A1, while the other roads retain their B1 and B2 status, including the road that runs to the coast.”
Traffic laws will be strictly enforced nationwide as part of Pillar 4 of the National Road Safety Strategy.