The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund says young people aged 18 to 35 were disproportionately affected by motor vehicle accidents, constituting 55% of total injuries recorded during the first nine months of 2024.
MVA Fund Chief Executive Officer Rosalia Martins-Hausiku said the youth further accounted for 50% of total fatalities recorded during the same period.
“Data collated by the MVA Fund Call indicates that a total of 1,888 young people aged 18 to 35 were injured in motor vehicle crashes during the period of 1 January 2024 to 1 September 2024 representing 55% of total injuries recorded for this period,” Martins-Hausiku said.
She noted that the bleak picture portrayed by these statistics supports the urgent call to engage the youth as vulnerable road users on their road user behaviour and attitude which makes them susceptible to road crashes, injuries and fatalities.
“The MVA Fund calls for self-regulation and responsibility amongst young road users to adopt positive road user behaviours thereby safeguarding their own lives and those of fellow road users,” she said.
This comes as year-to-date crash statistics indicate that the Khomas region has the highest count of national crashes at 36% (716), injuries at 31% (1,098) and fatalities at 11% (29).
Collisions accounted for the highest number of crashes at 309 followed by pedestrian-related crashes at 271.
“In addition, research commissioned by the Fund into the causes of crashes in the six high crash regions in the country found that 72% of crashes are related to human factors while 25% are related to road and environmental causes and 3% are vehicle-related,” the CEO said at a recent campaign launch.
This insight suggests that 72% of crashes are avoidable if road user behaviour is corrected.
The Otjozondjupa Region emerged as the overall winner of the just concluded MVA Fund Schools road safety debate competition.
“To create a platform for institutional commitment and empower Namibian youth to participate in road safety discourse, the MVA Fund hosted the Annual National Schools Road Safety Debate Competition in Swakopmund, Erongo region from Friday 06 to Tuesday 10 September 2024 under the theme “Young Minds and Self-Awareness Towards Road Safety,” said Martins-Hausiku.
The Championship, which is aimed at advancing the youth road safety agenda, hosts learners from all 14 regions, competing over three days.
The event creates a platform for learners to showcase their advocacy skills on the critical issue of road safety which propels the Fund’s ongoing commitment to promote road safety awareness and education.
“As vulnerable road users, the theme encourages critical thinking and empowers learners to explore the complexities of road safety. It challenges them to consider how education, infrastructure, enforcement, and community engagements all play a role in protecting pedestrians,” she said.
