89 dead in traffic accidents over past month

WINDHOEKThe Namibian Police issued more than 3 200 traffic summonses valued at over N$3.3 million between 17 November and 26 December 2021 as part of their festive season road safety campaign that concludes later this month.During the same period, almost 30 000 drivers were tested for alcohol levels by traffic officers.Of the total of 29 744 drivers screened for alcohol, the police say 75 were arrested for being over the legal alcohol limit. Among those tested, 25 132 were men, and 4 612 were female drivers.The most common traffic violations for which summonses were issued included unlicensed drivers, unlicensed vehicles and speeding violations. Moreover, drivers were ticketed for inconsiderate driving, failing to comply with traffic signs or failure to wear seatbelts, and drunk driving.Between 15 November and 28 December, the number of accidents reported to the police that involved injuries or deaths totalled 371, a decrease from the same period in 2019 when 485 accidents took place, and 411 in 2020.The lower number of accidents however stood in contrast to a higher death toll compared to 2019 and 2020.This year, 89 people lost their lives between 15 November and 28 December. In 2019, the number of fatalities over that period totalled 79, and 87 deaths were recorded in 2020.The number of injuries decreased by 12% this year, with 716 persons sustaining varying degrees of injury over the past month in car crashes, compared to 947 in 2019 and 834 last year.Accidents involving pedestrians, rollovers and collisions were the top three types of accidents reported between November and just before the New Year.The police recorded 109 accidents involving pedestrians between 15 November and 28 December, 101 rollovers, and 98 collisions.Twenty-six accidents involved vehicles crashing into stationary objects, while 14 car crashes involved someone jumping or falling off a vehicle.In 2019, 141 accidents involving pedestrians were reported over the same period, and 124 crashes involved rollovers, while 118 were collisions.In 2020, the police recorded 99 pedestrian-related car accidents, 116 rollovers and 111 collisions.The Namibian Police’s festive season road safety campaign ends on 17 January 2022.Traffic accident statistics released late last year showed that between 1 January 2021 and 14 November, a total of 2 579 crashes resulted in 4 464 injuries and 426 deaths on Namibia’s roads.

89 dead in traffic accidents over past month

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Namibian Sun 2022-05-26

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89 dead in traffic accidents over past month

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Namibian Sun 2022-05-26

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