The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) in the Kavango West Region launched the 2023/24 Festive Season Operation and Road Safety Campaign at Nkurenkuru on Tuesday.
The campaign is aimed at achieving a reduction in crashes, injuries, and fatalities, through targeted action against common road offences such as speeding, drinking and driving, overloading, and unfit vehicles, which are the leading causes of fatal road crashes in Namibia.
Speaking during the launch of the operation, NamPol Kavango West Regional Commander, Commissioner Julia Sakuwa-Neo said this year her region recorded 10 road fatalities while 13 people died last year.
‘All fatalities were a result of pedestrians being bumped on the road,’ she said.
She said it is evident that with the upcoming festive season, national roads still remain darkened by the occurrence of tragic road accidents that tend to increase during the festive period.
‘NamPol therefore calls for the critical need to deploy traffic law enforcement members and the continuous coll
aboration with all stakeholders to ensure that Namibia reaches its decade of action goals of reducing fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030,’ she said.
The operation is also directed towards curbing general crime in the region.
Apart from road safety awareness, the regional commander said a number of children are also frequenting drinking places in the region.
She cautioned shebeen owners not to sell alcohol to minors and urged parents to take charge and monitor their children’s whereabouts.
Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund case coordinator in the two Kavango regions, Lukas Shikongo said the fund conducted research on the cause of car crashes in six regions, including Kavango West, and found that 72 per cent of crashes are due to human behaviour, with actions ranging from overspeeding, overloading, and overtaking at blind spots, to the use of electronic devices while driving.
The festive season campaign will end early January 2024.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency