By Seth Nowaseb
Three weeks ago, during the last long weekend, Namibia lost 10 people on our roads. These were ten lives. Ten families lost someone and were forever changed. Ten empty chairs at dinner tables.
Behind every number is a mother, a son, a sister, a friend, someone who expected to arrive home safely but never did.
As another long weekend approaches, we stand before a choice as a nation. Will we allow the same story to repeat itself? Or will we decide, together, that this time will be different?
For many years now, we have lived with the pain of losing loved ones in crashes that should never have happened. These are not unavoidable tragedies. Many of them happen because some drivers choose speed over safety, alcohol over responsibility, impatience over care, and silence over action.
Research shows that Namibia has one of the highest road death rates in the world at about 22 deaths per 100,000 people. This is very high for a population of 3 million people. Compare this with countries such as the UAE (5.9), the United Kingdom (2.6), Finland (3.0), Norway (1.6), and Switzerland (2.8).
These countries did not reduce road deaths by accident. They did so because their citizens decided that losing lives on the road was simply unacceptable. Even if we set aside differences in technology and resources, the disparity between their numbers and ours should be a serious concern to all of us. Namibia can make the same decision.
Many deaths on our roads are preventable. They happen because people are speeding. Because someone overtakes dangerously. Because drivers are tired and do not stop to rest. Because someone had been drinking before they drove. Because someone saw wrongdoing and did not speak up but looked away. Or because sometimes we protect the wrong person.
When we see someone driving under the influence, we stay quiet. When we see traffic officers on the road, we warn reckless drivers rather than report them. When we see wrongdoing by drivers, we keep quiet rather than report it. But silence can cost lives. Sometimes four or five innocent lives are lost in a single crash.
It is better to stop one careless driver today than to bury several loved ones tomorrow. Even something as simple as warning drivers about police ahead (unexpected roadblocks) can unintentionally help reckless drivers avoid accountability. Instead, reporting dangerous behaviour can help remove unsafe drivers from the road and save lives we may never even know we protected.
So, what can we do, as drivers, passengers, families, and communities, to make this coming long weekend safer? We can:
- Drive slower than usual, arriving late is better than not arriving at all
- Leave early so we do not rush
• Travel during daylight where possible
- Stop every two hours or every 200 km to rest
- Stay alert for animals and erratic drivers
- Reduce speed when sharing the road with trucks
- Overtake only when it is completely safe
- Avoid driving after drinking any alcohol
- Drivewithcareforthepeopletravelling with us and around us
In recent years, traffic authorities have also been strengthening safety measures. These include: - Installing dashcams in police and emergency vehicles
• Monitoring high-risk accident areas
• Improving livestock visibility along roads
- Increasing patrols and roadblocks during peak travel periods
- 
Strengthening coordination through national road-safety structures
These steps help. But they cannot replace our own decisions when we are driving. Real change begins with us.
Let us agree as Namibians that even one preventable death this coming long weekend is one too many. Every life lost on our roads should pain us deeply. It should not matter whether we knew that person or not. Road safety is not only a law-enforcement issue. It is a national responsibility that belongs to all of us.
Namibia has some of the best roads in the world. Driving across our country should be one of life’s great experiences, not something families fear every holiday season. We want tourists to feel safe here. We want children to arrive home safely. We want families to return together. We want journeys to become memories, not mourning.
This coming long weekend, each of us can help stop the carnage. We can slow down. We can plan ahead. We can speak up, by reporting recklessness. We can look out for one another. Lives depend on it. If we do, we can make our journeys wonderful experiences. - Seth !Nowaseb is an author and university lecturer. He campaigns for behaviour change on our roads and in personal finance. He writes in his own capacity.
