The Hardap Region Road Safety Forum has been launched at Mariental.

The launch is part of a national initiative to strengthen road safety awareness and reduce road crashes, injuries and fatalities.

The launch marks efforts by the National Road Safety Council to reactivate regional road safety forums across all the 14 regions.

Mariental Mayor Ethel Isaacks says road safety requires responsible behaviour from both motorists and pedestrians. 

"Road safety is a daily choice. The Hardap have historically recorded significant numbers of road accidents and injuries, driven heavily by preventable human factors such as speeding, driver fatigue, driving under the influence, unsafe pedestrian behaviour like jaywalking, and disregarding road signs and markings meant to protect us rather than restrict us."

Hardap Police Commander Sydney Philander said the regional forum would provide a platform for stakeholders to work together in implementing the National Road Safety Strategy.

"Every road crash is more than a statistic: it represents a family that lost a loved one, a child whose future has been cut, or an individual who will live with lifelong injuries. These tragedies remind us that road safety is not solely a policing responsibility but rather a shared responsibility that requires commitment from every stakeholder represented here today." 

Namibia recorded 1,747 road crashes, 2,996 injuries and 279 fatalities between 1 January and 9 August.

Speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, unlicensed driving and unroadworthy vehicles were identified as contributing factors.

The Mariental Constituency Councillor, Iswarin Rooi stressed, "Let us measure the success of this initiative not only by the launch we celebrate today, but by the lives we save, the harmful behaviours we change and the progress we make in reducing road tragedies."

Authorities are urging all road users to respect traffic regulations and make responsible choices to protect lives.