Road safety starts now

From left to right: Deputy Inspector General, James Tjivikua (Namibian Police); MVA Fund CEO Rosalia Martins-Hausiku; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Peter Mwatile; Executive Secretary of the National Road Safety Council, Eugene Tendekule and Namibia Breweries Limited National Marketing Manager, Rosemary Shippiki at the official launch of the Xupifa Eemwenyo Campaign – Road Safety Interventions for 2013/2014.

The Xupifa Eemwenyo Campaign was official launched by the MVA Fund and National Road Safety Council (NRSC) last week Friday. The significant campaign with its main role players, the MVA Fund, the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and the Namibian Police raises public awareness of the detrimental consequences of speeding that ranges from severe injuries and disability to mutilation and death. The campaign is in line with the objective of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2020.

The ultimate aim is to reduce the trend of fatalities on the Namibian roads thereby saving lives. The campaign officially started last Friday, 22 November and runs until mid-January 2014. Under the theme, Mind The Consequences of Speeding, the campaign focuses on road safety awareness, intensified law enforcement and improved emergency medical response services. The campaign aims to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities through targeted action against the common road offences such as speeding, drinking and driving, overloading and unfit vehicles, which are the leading causes of fatal road crashes. Law enforcement operations will be increased and stringent measures to ensure adherence to traffic regulations will be deployed through close monitoring at road blocks, increased highway patrols and aerial surveilance.