Below stats from MVA for year to date comparison over 2018 to 2019 – over the period 1 January till 24 November (thus excluding the festive season of 2018):
2018
2019
% Change
Crashes
3 380
3 173
-6.1%
Injuries
5 439
5 236
-3.7%
Fatalities
494
524
6%
The Totals for 2018 (including festive season):
Crashes: 3 718
Injuries: 5 634
Fatalities: 571
Namibia has seen thousands of innocent lives lost on our roads over the past years – a reality that has placed this country as one of the nations with the highest road accident- and fatality rates. Reckless behavior has been identified as one of the major contributors to this unfortunate reality.
For more than a decade – since 2006, NBL has committed itself to support local road safety campaigns, and promote responsible behavior among motorists. With the irresponsible and life-threatening act of driving under the influence of alcohol being one of the contributors to local road accidents and fatalities, and has proven to be a great concern in Namibia, NBL – as a leader in the Namibian alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages industry – has committed itself to the forefront of addressing this social threat.
Since our very first donation of 10 breathalyzers in 2006 to the Namibian Police (NAMPOL), we have continued to support local endeavors and efforts to curb this sad reality, and to bring down the number of road accidents. We have been a proud and passionate supporter and promoter of safer and responsible road usage year in year out, and will continue to support government and other stakeholders in the fight against this unnecessary and unwanted reality.
Our DON’T DRINK & DRIVE and ENJOY RESPONSIBILITY campaigns over the past years were but a part of our contributions to this fight. Further initiatives by NBL also include our DRINKiQ Program which has seen thousands of Namibians educated on the repercussions of alcohol abuse, and also empowered to make better decisions when consuming alcohol.
In 2018, NBL in partnership with the Ministry of Safety and Security, in particular the Namibian Correctional Service launched If you are going to drink and drive, welcome to your new life – a TV Commercial for airing on local television, which speaks to the harsh reality of the repercussions of driving under the influence of alcohol.
For the 2019 festive season road campaign, state-of-the-art breathalyzer machines were recently handed over to NAMPOL by NBL Managing Director, Marco Wenk as ongoing support by NBL towards the national road safety campaign. Wenk: “This handover to NAMPOL is but a reassurance of our commitment to curbing road accidents and irresponsible alcohol consumption in the country. We dedicate ourselves to promoting responsible road usage, and fighting inconsiderate and careless behavior of driving while under the influence of alcohol. We have, and will continue to support NAMPOL in its efforts to keep death off our roads, and trust that this humble donation will make a difference – we hope it will contribute to much less road accidents this festive season.”
This national catastrophe begs a change of mind-set, behavior and attitude of motorists and other road-users. The act of driving under the influence of alcohol has a detrimental and sad outcome on the lives of our fellow Namibians, as well as our loved ones. However, we are cognizant that the efforts by NBL, NAMPOL and other role-players and supporters to curb road accidents and fatalities in Namibia means nothing if our behavior remains the same.
Let us keep our roads safe this coming festive season. Abide to road regulations and DON’T DRINK & DRIVE!
DRINKiQ
The NBL DRINKiQ Training Program forms part of NBL’s initiatives and ongoing efforts in supporting government’s fight against alcohol abuse and the societal repercussions thereof. Since the inception of the programme close to 6 570 participants were trained. This program enriches participants’ knowledge on the mental, psychological and physical risks involved when abusing alcohol, and provides them with the necessary IQ to understand the repercussions of alcohol abuse.
