Road crashes escalate
According to the latest road crash statistics from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA),
August recorded a total of 157 crashes, 238 injuries and 33 fatalities bringing the total number of road crashes for the year to 2092 with 428 fatalities and 3927 injuries.
The MVA Fund Call Centre since 15 August till this week Monday reported fatal road crashes claiming the lives of 11 people and 29 with injuries. MVA Fund’s spokesperson KapenaTjombonde in a statement pleaded with all road users to abide by rules in avoiding driving under the influence of substances and excessive speeding.
“These figures paint a bleak picture on Namibian roads and are an indication that the country will continue to lose productive citizens if driver behaviour does not change,”he said. The latest accident involving an Iveco bus travelling from Mariental on the Kalkrand road was a mass casualty involving 19 injuries and a fatal spinal cord injury to one of the passengers.
The female passenger is currently receiving advanced injury management at the Windhoek Medi Clinic. “Road users are therefore encouraged to thoroughly inspect the general conditions of their vehicles, particularly tyres, prior to travel.” Tjombode said. Meanwhile, the other road accidents were recorded on the Ondombe Oshikango road in the Ohangwena Region. Two fatalities on the Oranjemund Rosh-Pinah road with one serious injury. On the same day a pedestrian died on the scene on the Mpungu-Okongo road due to poor visibility, as confirmed by the police. While four people died instantly and two minor injuries were recorded 36 km from Otjiwarongo towards Otavi road when the sedan they were travelling in tyre’s burst. And in a separate incident at Drimiopsis, on the C22 road near Gobabis, a Land Rover rolled over due to an alleged tyre burst, killing one person and injuring five.
