Latest crash stats a horror

Close to 200 people have lost their lives on Namibian roads since the start of the year while more than 1 900 sustained injuries in 1 162 crashes.In line with previous trends, substantially more males than females died in the crashes during this period, with 134 males and 46 females dying from the injuries sustained from these crashes. Moreover, 23 of the total of 195 fatalities were people aged 26 to 30, the most affected age group, followed by 21 fatalities of people aged 21 to 25. Eleven of the fatalities were children under five, while seven youngsters aged between 6 and 10 died in these crashes. Five people aged between 11 and 15 have died in car crashes since 1 January, and 12 aged between 16 and 20 lost their lives in these car accidents. Statistics released by the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund last week show that of the total of 195 people who died in the crashes, most deaths, 44, were recorded in the Otjozondjupa Region, followed by 21 fatalities in the Khomas Region and 17 in the Omusati Region.With regard to the total of 1 921 injuries recorded by the MVA Fund, the Khomas Region accounted for 555 injuries, followed by 242 recorded in the Otjozondjupa Region and 200 in the Erongo Region. According to the MVA Fund statistics, the highest number of crashes, 410, were recorded in the Khomas Region, followed by 140 crashes in the Erongo Region and 104 in the Oshana Region.Most of the crashes were collisions. Between 1 January and 7 May, 309 collisions were recorded, followed by 304 roll-overs and 278 pedestrian-related crashes. Further analysis of the total of 1 162 crashes indicate that most people, 678, were injured in roll-overs, followed by 633 sustaining injuries in collisions and 245 injuries sustained in pedestrian-related crashes. Moreover, 39 people were injured and six died in 42 hit-and-run crashes recorded by the MVA Fund. Although current crash statistics remain damning, a comparison between the year-to-date numbers of 2018 and 2019 indicate a decline in total number of crashes and injuries.Between 1 January and 5 May 2018, the MVA Fund recorded 1 227 crashes, compared to 1 143 crashes during the same period in 2019.Moreover, 2 053 injuries were recorded during the same period for 2018, while 1 872 injuries were recorded during that period this year.Nevertheless, the year-to-date statistics for this period show a slight increase in fatalities compared to the previous year, with 171 fatalities recorded in 2018 compared to 192 between 1 January and 5 May.The MVA Fund recently launched a new road-safety campaign, focused on promoting community accountability through interventions aimed to empower communities in the arena of road safety.The fund says because local communities are often the first to arrive at the scene of an accident, it is crucial to ensure they are able to assist.In line with this, the MVA will launch a number of opportunities for communities in various locations to gain awareness of its Accident Response Number (081 9682), provide instructions on pre-arrival at a crash scene, and present demonstrations of first-responder simulations and display the correct use of seat belts and child car-seats.“These activities aim to equip community members with the necessary information, knowledge and skills to assist persons injured in a road crash up until the time that medical help arrives.”JANA-MARI SMITH

Latest crash stats a horror

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-12-29

Please login to leave a comment

Latest crash stats a horror

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-12-29

Please login to leave a comment

Subscription Required to Access Content ×

Login

Subscription Required to Access Content