Road crashes cost Namibia N$1.3 billion a year

Road accidents drain more than N$1.3 billion from the Namibian economy every year, with preventable crashes continuing to claim hundreds of lives and leave thousands injured annually.Otjozondjupa accounts for 15% of the country's road fatalities recorded during the first 10 months of this year, highlighting the scale of the road safety challenge facing one of Namibia's most accident-prone regions.These figures were highlighted by National Road Safety Council (NRSC) chairperson Amalia Gawa-!Nas during the official launch of the Otjozondjupa Regional Road Safety Forum in Otjiwarongo last week.A study commissioned by the NRSC in 2016 and conducted by Ernst &amp; Young assessed the economic impact of road accidents using 2017 statistics.Gawa-!Nas said the consequences of road crashes extend beyond loss of life, injuries and vehicle damage, with preventable accidents placing a significant burden on the country's economy.“Research done by the National Road Safety Council estimated that road crashes cost the Namibian economy more than N$1.3 billion per year. There is money that could build clinics, classrooms and roads, and it is lost to preventable crashes,” she said.The economic toll comes against a backdrop of persistently high road fatalities. MVA Fund statistics show that Namibia recorded 2 816 crashes, 5 069 injuries and 466 fatalities in 2020. The following year, crashes increased to 3 048, injuries to 5 442 and fatalities to 552.In 2022, the country recorded 3 123 crashes, 5 346 injuries and 469 deaths. In 2023, there were 3 067 crashes, 5 433 injuries and 428 fatalities.The situation deteriorated again in 2024, when 3 160 crashes were recorded, resulting in 5 774 injuries and 443 deaths.Most road accidentsOtjozondjupa remains among the regions most affected by road accidents.According to the Otjozondjupa Regional Council's 2025/26 annual report, the region recorded 282 crashes during the reporting period, claiming 67 lives and injuring 678 people.Fatalities increased from 54 in the previous reporting period to 67, while injuries rose from 651 to 678.Ironically, Namibia has for years been recognised for having some of the best road infrastructure on the African continent and beyond.Gawa-!Nas said the region had recorded 5 686 crashes between 2001 and 2025, resulting in 308 deaths. This made it the second-highest region in terms of fatalities over that period.She singled out the corridor between Okahandja, Otjiwarongo and Otavi as a persistent accident hotspot.Speaking at the same event, Acting Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force, Major General Anne-Marie Nainda, said Namibia recorded 2 458 crashes between 1 January and 1 November 2026, resulting in 4 175 injuries and 368 deaths.Of these, Otjozondjupa accounted for 220 crashes, 498 injuries and 54 fatalities.The region's fatalities represented 15% of the national total, while its crashes accounted for 9% and injuries for 12%.“I deliberately painted that picture so that you understand the amount of responsibility the forum's leadership, as well as all the stakeholders and inhabitants of this region, are carrying from today,” Nainda said.National issueShe warned that road safety should not be treated solely as a traffic enforcement matter, but as a public safety, public health and national development issue.The acting police chief urged the newly established forum to develop a regional action plan with clear priorities, assigned responsibilities and implementation timelines.“A forum without clear objectives and clear roles and without measurable targets risks becoming a platform for just discussions without the necessary impact,” she said.Gawa-!Nas said the regional forums were expected to move beyond meetings and paperwork by coordinating interventions, mobilising communities, educating road users and advising the NRSC on corrective measures tailored to individual regions.For the 2026/27 financial year, N$2.8 million has been approved for regional road safety forum activities, with each of the country's 14 regions allocated N$200 000 to establish and support its structures.She said regions that demonstrate results could receive increased funding in the following financial year.The National Second Decade of Action for Road Safety strategy, covering 2021 to 2030, targets a 50% reduction in road deaths, serious injuries and crashes by 2030.Gawa-!Nas said achieving this target could save almost 2 000 lives and prevent more than 3 700 serious injuries over the decade.She also highlighted pedestrian safety, saying Namibia had recorded 489 pedestrian-related crashes this year, resulting in 37 deaths.Nainda called for stronger cooperation between neighbouring regions, joint operations and the sharing of information on crashes, traffic offences, road conditions and high-risk locations.-phillipus@nmh-hub.com.na

Road crashes cost Namibia N$1.3 billion a year

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-09

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Road crashes cost Namibia N$1.3 billion a year

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-09

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