WINDHOEK, NOV 26 – The MVA Fund will among others, aim to ensure increased emergency response capacity on B1 and B2 Routes in line with Pillar 5 of the Decade of Action for Road Safety, Rosalia Martins-Hausiku said during the launch of the 2021/22 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign.
In addition, paramedics will be stationed at Arandis, Farm Wilhelmsdal, Farm Sukses, Omuthiya, Otjiwarongo and the newly established MVA Fund Service Centre in Otavi along the B1 and B2 routes.
According to Martins-Hausiku, “First Responder Simulations will be conducted along B1 and B2 routes in order
to encourage community participation and awareness of road safety. The Fund has started to roll out its Green Dot Programme which deals with public transport passenger safety and will provide defensive driver training to
public transport drivers.”
Moreover, she said that the Fund will conduct road user educational and awareness engagements with pedestrians and risks related to speeding, fatigue, driving under the influence, and operation of unroadworthy vehicles with drivers while targeted Driver Interventions will be undertaken with various motor clubs namely Audi, Golf, BMW, Amarok and Jeep.
She said that the festive season was a time of the year which, on the one hand brings the joy of rest after a long year of work, family bonding and increased traveling. And on the other hand, a time that is characterised by road crashes and subsequent injury and fatality.
“I encourage all road users to practice safe road user behaviour, and call the MVA Fund Accident Response Number – 9682 – to report crashes as doing so can save lives.”
Meanwhile, a recent study indicated that the greatest cause of crashes in Namibia related to human factors, which constitute 70% of all crashes.
The Festive Season Road Safety Campaign is an important tool in efforts to reduce road casualties. It also offers all role-players an opportunity to draw attention to the scale of emotional and economic devastation
caused by road crashes.
“We should therefore avoid the loss of lives on our roads at all cost. I thus plead with all road users, young and old, to reflect on their behaviour when on the roads this festive season.”
She further encouraged all road users to practice safe road-user behaviour, and utilise the MVA Fund Accident Response Number – 9682 – to report crashes as doing so can save lives. – musa@namibiadailynews.info
