Drivers pay steep price

Nearly 26 000 summonses valued at over N$31 million still need to be paid to traffic courts for traffic offences committed between January and October this year. Just over N$9.1 million was paid by 8 653 offenders in that period.These statistics include 1 544 fines for speeding, totalling nearly N$2.5 million, and 953 fines, amounting to over N$1.9 million, for using cellphones while driving. Nampol chief inspector Kauna Shikwambi told Namibian Sun that 6 889 arrest warrants were issued for offenders who failed to honour their summonses, either by not paying fines or by failing to appear in court. She added that 8 990 offenders were arrested after failing to appear in court.More than 1 416 fines related to unlicensed vehicles or expired vehicle licences were issued, totalling N$1.3 million.Fines related to expired or non-existent driver’s licences totalled 5 853, valued at N$5.8 million. More than 250 people were fined a total of N$504 000 for inconsiderate driving.Nearly 250 people were fined N$491 000 for driving unsafe vehicles. Close to 1 700 vehicle owners were issued suspension notices for driving unroadworthy cars and more than 2 100 people were warned to repair their vehicles in line with road-safety standards.Teamwork success In an effort to strengthen traffic law enforcement and decrease accidents, Nampol and other road-safety agencies launched a three-month intensive safety campaign at the beginning of August, which ended in October.Shikwambi said the campaign resulted in the payment of admissions of guilt amounting N$5.6 million.During the campaign, 84 members of a special law-enforcement and road-safety task force screened 46 117 drivers, of whom 39 153 were male and 6 964 female.A total of 262 arrests were made - 241 men and six women.Fifty-seven more arrests for other traffic offences were made. During the three-month campaign period, 1 424 accidents were recorded, 255 fewer than during the same period in 2017.Total fatalities for the three-month period were 48, 16 fewer than the previous year, and injuries dropped by 102 during the period, from 213 in 2017 to 111 in 2018. The N$3.5 million campaign targeted some of Namibia’s road accident hotspots. Checkpoints were set up between Noordoewer and Oshikango on the B1 road, and from Okahandja to Walvis Bay on the B2 road.The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund’s latest crash statistics show that between January and November this year, a total of 3 192 crashes took place, in which 5 120 people were injured and 471 killed.Compared to 2017’s year-to-date statistics, the country has seen a 10% decrease in crashes, an 18% decrease in injuries and a 29% decrease in fatalities this year. In 2017, between January and November, 3 531 crashes were reported, in which 6 263 people were injured and 666 died. Shikwambi said although road-safety awareness and law-enforcement campaigns are effective, more can still be done, with every Namibian playing a role in ensuring better road safety.“We must all avoid being reckless, driving unroadworthy vehicles, speeding and overtaking at blind spots hazardously, making U-turns indiscriminately, talking on the phone and texting while driving, not buckling up, drinking and driving.”Especially in view of the upcoming holiday season, Shikwambi urged motorists to be patient and cautious on the roads.During the last festive season, between November 2017 and January 2018, 409 crashes were recorded on Namibian roads, causing 752 injuries and 90 fatalities. JANA-MARI SMITH

Drivers pay steep price

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-02

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Drivers pay steep price

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-02

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