‘Preventable’ road carnage concerns MVA

The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund has expressed concern over a number of deadly recent road accidents in the country and has appealed to motorists to exercise caution in order to avoid “preventable and predictable” crashes.In a statement issued on Monday, the fund’s senior manager for accident and injury prevention, Ruben Uupindi, called for enhanced vigilance and responsible road user behaviour from all drivers.During the past week, Uupindi said, 23 people died and 176 people were injured in car crashes.Devastating numbers Official statistics also indicate that between January and October this year, a total of 2 191 road crashes, 3 904 injuries and 304 fatalities were recorded.“The safety of road users is of paramount importance to the MVA Fund, as road crashes have devastating consequences that affect families, communities and the nation at large,” he said.“The MVA Fund has noted that these crashes are often predictable and preventable through conscientious driving, strict adherence to road traffic rules and regulations, and planning long journeys while also avoiding driving at night when there is less visibility on the road," he added.Lives lost His comments come after two separate crashes on Sunday – one on the Katima-Mulilo road and another on the Mariental-Keetmanshoop roads – claimed 15 lives and caused multiple injuries.In the Hardap accident, a white Iveco bus with 23 passengers on board moved into the left lane when the driver noticed a Scania truck approaching from the opposite direction, driving in their lane.The Iveco bus allegedly swerved to the side and subsequently veered off the road, overturning. One passenger in the Iveco bus died in the accident, the report read.The Scania truck then reportedly continued forward and collided head-on with a Ford Bantam, which had been driving behind the Iveco bus. The Bantam allegedly had eight passengers on board, and upon collision, the vehicle caught fire. According to the police, all eight passengers died in the fire. The Iveco bus&#039; other 22 passengers were taken to the Mariental hospital for treatment. The driver of the Scania truck is said to not have suffered serious injuries and has been admitted to hospital.In the Zambezi accident, six people died in a head-on collision between two vehicles. One of the vehicles was driven by Kongola constituency councillor Bennett Likukela Busihu, who lost his wife in the accident. Busihu, who won the Kongola position as an independent candidate and serves as a parliamentarian in the National Council, was in critical condition at the time of going to press, police said. Other occupants in his vehicle – his 11-month-old son, a babysitter and a 20-year-old man – suffered serious injuries. Meanwhile, all five occupants of the other vehicle died.Uupindi stressed the importance of road safety and said all road users should make it a priority to curb the high fatality rate as a result of accidents.

‘Preventable’ road carnage concerns MVA

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

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‘Preventable’ road carnage concerns MVA

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

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