ROAD accidents are increasing at an alarming rate in Namibia, with an average of 30 lives being lost every month.

So far this year, 470 people have died on the country’s roads and 4 662 were injured in 2 866 crashes.

This was revealed by Sidney Boois, a senior manager of the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund, while presenting the fund’s draft strategic plan for the next five years at a meeting at Keetmanshoop yesterday.

The aim of the meeting was to seek input on the strategic plan.

Boois blamed human error for most road accidents, saying “major crashes are manmade”.

The strategic plan’s focus areas include financial solvency, providing comprehensive post-crash response programmes, and returning injured people to independence.

The mayor of Keetmanshoop, Moses Titus, called on Namibians not to perceive the MVA as a “cash cow”.

The majority of people who attended the meeting agreed that the MVA Fund should advocate for traffic law amendments that could minimise accidents.

They felt the law should be amended to prohibit the carrying of passengers in the loadbed of a bakkie.

“In other countries it is forbidden to carry people on the back of a bakkie, why can’t it also be the case in our country,” acting Oranjemund chief executive officer Paul Nghiwilepo said.