Erongo: Erongo Governor Natalia |Goagoses on Tuesday issued a call for stricter road safety measures, urging lawmakers, enforcement authorities, and motorists to do the right thing and save lives as traffic volumes surge over the holiday period. The governor was speaking at the regional launch of the 2025/2026 festive season roadblock operations at the Swakopmund roadblock.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the road safety initiative, running from 09 December to 16 January 2026, aims to reduce accidents by targeting dangerous driving behavior and increasing visibility along all major national roads. The governor stated that the country cannot continue to lose more than 400 lives annually on its roads, attributing most crashes to driver intolerance, fatigue, alcohol abuse, and loopholes in the licensing system. She emphasized that the nation is too small to lose such a number of lives and called for a review of laws to address the behavior of intolerant, careless, and intoxicated drivers.
|Goagoses further questioned the ease with which some drivers obtain licenses, calling for an urgent review of testing procedures and the operations of driving schools and testing centers across the country. Erongo Police Regional Commander, Commissioner Nikolaus Kupembona, expressed concern about the increasing number of truck-related accidents in the region, particularly those linked to fatigue. He noted that many truck drivers work under pressure, are paid per load, or lack sufficient experience.
Kupembona highlighted that with thousands of visitors coming to the coast, traffic volumes rise sharply, turning roads into high-risk zones. He stated that these road operations are actionable commitments that guide strategic deployments and every enforcement decision. Last year's operations during the same period resulted in 1,902 summonses issued, N.dollars 1.7 million in admission of guilt fines collected, 27 arrests for drunken driving, and 27,515 drivers screened for alcohol, among other outcomes.
The commissioner also noted improved results at key hotspots such as the B2 between Arandis and Usakos, where no fatalities were recorded last festive season, although he expressed concern over a recent accident that claimed three lives between Karibib and Wilhelmstal. Making her first official address since taking office, Swakopmund Mayor Suama Kautondokwa reaffirmed the municipality's commitment to continued collaboration with NamPol, noting that the long-standing partnership has improved safety and strengthened public confidence.