Car crashes kill over 500 in 2017
More than 500 people have died in car accidents since January, according to the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund.
With three months to go until the end of the year, this figure is 201 less than the total deaths recorded on Namibian roads at this time last year.
This information was announced by MVA Fund's Eva Amakali at a road-safety conference in the Ohangwena Region yesterday.
She said the leading causes of road accidents were ignorance, reckless driving and drunken driving.
Amakali said the Fund spent about N$200 million a year to cover the funeral costs and medical expenses of accident victims and to take care of families affected by crashes.
“If you look at the amount we spent on an annual basis, that money could have been used for the construction of proper roads,” Amakali said.
The number of people killed in Namibia last year amounted to 34 per 100 000.
The MVA Fund hoped to reduce this number to 16 per 100 000 by the year 2022.
Amakali said this could only be attained if all stakeholders took the fight against road accidents seriously.
National Road Safety Council spokesperson Ambrosius Tierspoor said young people needed to be educated about the dangers of reckless driving.
“Some parents have driving experience of up to 55 years but they would give their car keys to their child, whom they have never seen driving, just because he or she has a driver's licence and this is wrong,” Tierspoor warned.
He said all platforms to engage and sensitise people should be exploited, even church services.
During the conference, concerned members of the local community criticised the Roads Authority for not maintaining the roads properly.
They also complained about an absence of road signs and speed bumps. Concern was also raised about the poor state of gravel roads in the region.
KENYA KAMBOWE
With three months to go until the end of the year, this figure is 201 less than the total deaths recorded on Namibian roads at this time last year.
This information was announced by MVA Fund's Eva Amakali at a road-safety conference in the Ohangwena Region yesterday.
She said the leading causes of road accidents were ignorance, reckless driving and drunken driving.
Amakali said the Fund spent about N$200 million a year to cover the funeral costs and medical expenses of accident victims and to take care of families affected by crashes.
“If you look at the amount we spent on an annual basis, that money could have been used for the construction of proper roads,” Amakali said.
The number of people killed in Namibia last year amounted to 34 per 100 000.
The MVA Fund hoped to reduce this number to 16 per 100 000 by the year 2022.
Amakali said this could only be attained if all stakeholders took the fight against road accidents seriously.
National Road Safety Council spokesperson Ambrosius Tierspoor said young people needed to be educated about the dangers of reckless driving.
“Some parents have driving experience of up to 55 years but they would give their car keys to their child, whom they have never seen driving, just because he or she has a driver's licence and this is wrong,” Tierspoor warned.
He said all platforms to engage and sensitise people should be exploited, even church services.
During the conference, concerned members of the local community criticised the Roads Authority for not maintaining the roads properly.
They also complained about an absence of road signs and speed bumps. Concern was also raised about the poor state of gravel roads in the region.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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