Tujoromajo Kasuto
The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, Chief Executive Officer, Rosalia Martins-Hausiku, said crash statistics collected through MVA Fund call centre on 03 October, indicate that over the past three years between 2020 and 2022 to date, 74% males were killed, while an average of 60% were injured.
She said these statistics indicate that crashes and resultant injuries, and fatalities continue to prevail although, annually at a declining rate, placing more strain on available resources in an already depressed economy.
‘’Considering what I have just narrated, the need to recognize the critical and clear role women play in pushing the agenda for safer roads is becoming even greater. Let us empower ourselves; we are known to have better intuition, patience, emotional focus, compassion, and networking ability,’’ Martins-Hausiku said.
She made these remarks at the 3rd Women in Road Safety Conference and Exposition held for the first time in the coastal town of Swakopmund right here in the heart of the Erongo Region yesterday.
At the same event, Esther Utjiua Muinjangue, Deputy Minister of Health and Socia Services delivering her keynote address shared that recent road crash data collected by the MVA Fund shows that most of those who lose their lives in road crashes are the young and economically productive citizens between 21 to 35 years of age and children 10 years and younger.
She noted that because of this, on a household level, women are often left as single breadwinners or caretakers of those seriously injured in road crashes.
‘’It is inevitable to note that besides human suffering caused by road traffic injuries, there is also a heavy economic burden on survivors and their families. The cost of treatment for the injured and loss of productivity of those killed in motor vehicle crashes has a negative impact on the country’s economy,’’ she said.
According to statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Status on Road
Safety Report 2018, indicate that more than half of all road traffic deaths and injuries involve vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, school children and passengers.
In addition, WHO statistics indicate that the African continent has a road traffic fatality rate of
26.6 per 100 000 people, which is higher than the global rate of 18.2 deaths per 100 000.
Muinjangue highlighted that behind these statistics, is a life lost – a father, a mother, a sister, a
brother, a friend, a child or a breadwinner. Given these worrying numbers, she said there is
a need to do more to curb the unnecessary loss of lives in motor vehicle crashes.
‘’As women, we have within us the power to influence our male counterparts, husbands, children, and friends to make road safety a priority in order to save lives. Each one of us present here today should make this a personal responsibility and do our part to call for change on our roads,’’ she said.
