Road safety week focuses on drunk driving

NAMIBIA has joined the international community in celebrating the United Nations’ Global Safety Week this week.

A host of activities have already started and are expected to continue until Sunday night. On Tuesday, Works, Transport and Communication Minister Joel Kaapanda launched a road-safety manual to assist policymakers, compiled by the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP).Namibia may soon join a number of countries that have decided to reduce the legal blood-alcohol level from 0,08 g/dl to 0,05 g/dl, GRSP Namibia Executive Secretary Riaan van Rooyen said at the launch of the manual, which focuses heavily on drinking and driving.Van Rooyen said it was imperative for Government and the public sector to work together to curb drunk driving.”Government efforts through legislation, education and enforcement can be pooled together with efforts by the alcohol beverage industry, community-based organisations and academic institutions to address the problem,” he quoted GRSP’s international director for partnership development, America’s Brett Bivans, as saying during the international launch of the manual.Kaapanda, who has been actively involved in the campaign to reduce the number of deaths on national roads, urged Government agencies to study the manual and come up with practical ideas on how to implement its findings in Namibia.”Being a member of the UN, it benefits us to always measure ourselves against the best in the world to conform to best practices and standards.This will ensure that we derive economic spin-offs that could accrue to the tourism sector, especially during the 2010 (soccer) World Cup to be hosted by our neighbouring country South Africa,” Kaapanda said.On Tuesday, Works, Transport and Communication Minister Joel Kaapanda launched a road-safety manual to assist policymakers, compiled by the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP).Namibia may soon join a number of countries that have decided to reduce the legal blood-alcohol level from 0,08 g/dl to 0,05 g/dl, GRSP Namibia Executive Secretary Riaan van Rooyen said at the launch of the manual, which focuses heavily on drinking and driving.Van Rooyen said it was imperative for Government and the public sector to work together to curb drunk driving.”Government efforts through legislation, education and enforcement can be pooled together with efforts by the alcohol beverage industry, community-based organisations and academic institutions to address the problem,” he quoted GRSP’s international director for partnership development, America’s Brett Bivans, as saying during the international launch of the manual.Kaapanda, who has been actively involved in the campaign to reduce the number of deaths on national roads, urged Government agencies to study the manual and come up with practical ideas on how to implement its findings in Namibia.”Being a member of the UN, it benefits us to always measure ourselves against the best in the world to conform to best practices and standards.This will ensure that we derive economic spin-offs that could accrue to the tourism sector, especially during the 2010 (soccer) World Cup to be hosted by our neighbouring country South Africa,” Kaapanda said.