Police to maintain visibility during Easter

Reckless drivers have been warned that the police will patrol all the major highways across the country during the long Easter weekend.
The Deputy Inspector-General for Administration, Major General James Tjivikua this week warned drivers that the police will be out in full force in all the 13 regions of the country. Speaking at a media briefing on road safety and crime during the Easter holiday, Tjivikua urged drivers and road users to adhere to road rules, avoid driving if fatigued, avoid driving under the influence of alcohol, and to ensure that there is enough room when attempting to overtake other vehicles.
“During this Easter holiday, the Namibian Police Force will enhance its police visibility countrywide, meaning regular area patrols as well as highway patrols will be conducted. In addition to the permanent road blocks, temporary roadblocks will be erected to ensure road safety. Traffic officers will be deployed on our roads and we will practice a zero tolerance to any offenders,” said Tjivikua.
A total of 1104 traffic offences were reported during last year’s Easter holiday. Of these, 12 were committed by people caught using cellphones whilst driving, 186 were for people driving without licences, 12 cases were for inconsiderate driving, 122 cases were related to licensing and registration, while 35 cases were for overloading. Seventy-one people were arrested for driving without wearing seat belts, 27 people were caught for driving with suspended licenses, and 11 offences were for driving unroadworthy cars. Over-speeding offences were the highest with 570 cases reported.
A combined Easter report by the Namibian Police Traffic Law Enforcement from 2009 to 2012  showed that the number of traffic offences has been on the increase with more injuries from accidents reported in the years 2010 and 2011.