Police in ||Kharas Region have launched the festive season road safety operation with a show of force.
The launch took place at the police roadblock outside Keetmanshoop.
In his message, Police Inspector General, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, called on road users to be vigilant to ensure roads are safer during festive season travelling, which is synonymous with accidents and deaths.
||Kharas Police Regional Commander, Commissioner Marius Katamila, delivered the Police Inspector General's message during the festive season operations launch.
"Drivers should always avoid distractions such as the use of mobile phones while driving and adhere to the speed limits. Pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers must also take responsibility for their actions and ensure they do not endanger their own safety and that of others. I should emphasize that the Namibian Police Force, in close cooperation with other law enforcers and all stakeholders, will continue to play a significant role in the efforts to enhance road safety campaigns. The message of road safety cannot be overemphasized as we aim to build on the good work done by traffic officers throughout the past years."
In his remarks, ||Kharas Regional Council Chairperson Joseph Isaack echoed similar sentiments on the importance of road safety during the festive season.
"It is important that the law enforcement agencies and all the stakeholders join hands to prevent catastrophic occurrences that might take place. We are the ones as leaders to address and inform, to display the very importance of road safety. And as much as we have road users, as much as we have law enforcement agents, those parties are one team. If we have cooperation from both road users and law enforcement agents, we will definitely achieve a zero occurrence of road accidents."
Police statistics show 447 crashes, 837 injuries, and 59 fatalities on the country's roads were recorded during the 2023/2024 festive season campaign, while 344 fatalities were recorded for the period under review starting 1 January 2024 until 3 November.