Stricter laws should be placed on reckless drivers: Nandi-Ndaitwah

WINDHOEK, 13 JUL  – Stricter laws should be adopted for reckless drivers while the same culprits are cautioned to take full responsibility for their actions on national roads, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has said.
In her contribution speech in the National Assembly recently, Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that these offenders must be punished accordingly.

“Laws must be enforced and the suspension of licenses of road offenders must be implemented and my emphasis is on law makers to ensure that the public remains engaged,” Nandi-Ndaitwah added.
The deputy prime minister expressed disappointment over the Motor Vehicle (MVA) Fund’s statistics indicating alarming numbers of collisions over the past three years.

According to her, it is disturbing that the projection Namibia gives to the outside world of the state of the country’s roads and road users is not positive.
“There is a need for deeper introspection by the drivers on the road and we therefore need to engage the public and make them understand the danger they pose to themselves and other road users.”

Although agreeing that roaming animals do cause accidents on national roads, Nandi-Ndaitwah did not agree that this was the main cause of road crashes as suggested by United People’s Movement parliamentarian, Jan van Wyk.

She stressed that according to the MVA statistics, road accidents involving domestic animals are not as alarming.
“Most accidents are caused by speeding, reckless driving; collisions and hitting pedestrians,” she said.
As of 2016, accidents caused by collisions stand at 2613, those caused by pedestrians are 2736, while accidents caused by domestic animals and wildlife are 226 and 96, respectively according to the MVA Fund’s statistics.
NAMPA