B1, B2 the most dangerous roads
Tracking road accidents on some of the national roads shows that the B1 stretch from Windhoek to Oshikango and the B2 stretch from Windhoek to Swakopmund are the most dangerous roads in Namibia.
The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) has done some research with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts in the USA into road accidents taking place along these main highways from 2013 to 2015. A staggering 40 000 road accidents occurred countrywide during this period, 11 800 of them outside towns. About 2 800 were reported to police stations and 790 took place along the B1 and B2 routes.
The most hazardous section of the B1 is the stretch between Tsumeb and Oshivelo; the most dangerous part of the B2 is between Swakopmund and Usakos. In both 2013 and 2015 the most severe accidents occurred along the Arandis and Swakopmund roads, as well as the stretch from Tsumeb to Ondangwa.
Traffic volumes on both the B1 and B2 remained intense over the period but the presence of animals on the roads caused the highest number of accidents (45%) and most accidents happened at night (67%).
Blind spots along these routes also pose a major hazard but high speed poses a danger to all road users under all circumstances.
PRIORITIES
Deputy Commissioner Ralph Ludwig of the traffic law enforcement division of the Namibian Police last week said the main traffic operations take place along the B1.
There are currently 33 traffic units comprising 300 traffic officers.
The traffic division hopes to add an additional 11 units over the next five years.
Ludwig pleaded for more funding from the Road Fund Administration (RFA) to bolster the division''s capacity, especially in view of the fact that Namibia is a signatory to the Decade of Action from 2010 to 2020, which aims to minimise by 50% accidents, fatalities and injuries on the country''s roads.
This target is also incorporated in the fifth National Development Plan (NDP 5) period to reduce car crashes by 10% on a quarterly basis while increasing traffic officers by 100 per year.
Ludwig warned that an increase of fatalities will occur if these targets are not funded and reached.
CATHERINE SASMAN
The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) has done some research with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts in the USA into road accidents taking place along these main highways from 2013 to 2015. A staggering 40 000 road accidents occurred countrywide during this period, 11 800 of them outside towns. About 2 800 were reported to police stations and 790 took place along the B1 and B2 routes.
The most hazardous section of the B1 is the stretch between Tsumeb and Oshivelo; the most dangerous part of the B2 is between Swakopmund and Usakos. In both 2013 and 2015 the most severe accidents occurred along the Arandis and Swakopmund roads, as well as the stretch from Tsumeb to Ondangwa.
Traffic volumes on both the B1 and B2 remained intense over the period but the presence of animals on the roads caused the highest number of accidents (45%) and most accidents happened at night (67%).
Blind spots along these routes also pose a major hazard but high speed poses a danger to all road users under all circumstances.
PRIORITIES
Deputy Commissioner Ralph Ludwig of the traffic law enforcement division of the Namibian Police last week said the main traffic operations take place along the B1.
There are currently 33 traffic units comprising 300 traffic officers.
The traffic division hopes to add an additional 11 units over the next five years.
Ludwig pleaded for more funding from the Road Fund Administration (RFA) to bolster the division''s capacity, especially in view of the fact that Namibia is a signatory to the Decade of Action from 2010 to 2020, which aims to minimise by 50% accidents, fatalities and injuries on the country''s roads.
This target is also incorporated in the fifth National Development Plan (NDP 5) period to reduce car crashes by 10% on a quarterly basis while increasing traffic officers by 100 per year.
Ludwig warned that an increase of fatalities will occur if these targets are not funded and reached.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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