Tourists warned of dangerous roads

ELLANIE SMIT The continued spate of mass casualties coupled with horror crashes on Namibian roads had led to our country being slammed in a global report rating countries in terms of the risks they hold for travellers and tourists.The Travel Risk Map for 2017 ranked the most dangerous countries in the world on various aspects including medical risks, travel security and road safety. It is designed to alert travellers and tourists to the level of risk they face when visiting destinations worldwide.The research reveals that 72% of people believe travel risks have increased over the past year, and that 57% of travellers expect these risks to become even more dangerous next year.Namibia was rated high in terms of road safety risks to travellers meaning that the country’s roads pose a real and tangible danger, and caution should be exercised when using our roads.The research warns travellers that it is likely that a weak policy and low levels of enforcement contribute to poor road user behaviour and that infrastructure and vehicle safety standards may vary dramatically.“The careful selection of mode of transportation is of high importance, with a strong preference placed on choosing not to self-drive, and ensuring the vehicle in which you travel is in good condition and has working seatbelts fitted,” the report states.This concurs with findings in other studies which rank Namibia’s roads among the best in SADC and one report compared the quality of our highways and other routes to the United Kingdom. Low levels of law enforcement have also been blamed for the spate of deaths and crashes on our roads.At the launch of the annual road safety campaign for the coming holidays, Major-General James Tjivikua, the deputy inspector of the Namibian police said that Namibia is facing a growing pandemic of road crashes causing death and serious injuries to both Namibians and travellers to the country.He made these remarks while launching the 2016/17 festive season intensive crime prevention and traffic law enforcement activities.He referred to a report released in 2014 by the University of Michigan in the United States that rated Namibia as the country with the highest rate of driving fatalities per capita.“This is not a good indication at all. It demonstrates that there is a lot resting on our shoulders to lock horns with the dilemma we find ourselves in.”He said that it is therefore necessary to redirect attention, expertise, time and resources to address the problem and expressed the hope that the campaign will contribute to improving the circumstances at hand.He added that some people blame the high number of road deaths on the conditions of Namibia’s roads.He however said that the road infrastructure is comparable with the best in Africa if not in the world.“We should rather blame it on road users’ attitudes of being reckless, speeding and overtaking at blind spots, using gadgets and drunken driving to mention but a few.”The latest statistics indicate that this year there have been 589 accidents in comparison to last year when 614 car crashes occurred, however there has been 112 people killed in these accidents in comparison to last year when 97 people died on Namibia’s roads.The statistics also indicate that 584 people were injured this year while last year the injuries were 614.Meanwhile Namibia was rated low in terms of travel security risk and medium in terms of medical risk.Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Timbuktu in Mali are among the most dangerous places in the world, while the safest countries in the world are Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland, according to the research.

Tourists warned of dangerous roads

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-08

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Tourists warned of dangerous roads

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-08

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