Associaꢀon for Safe Internaꢀonal Road Travel
Road Safety Review: Namibia
Driving Culture
Know Before You Go
Driving is on the left.
• Cꢂmmꢂꢃ cꢄuꢅeꢅ ꢂf crꢄꢅheꢅ include disregard of
traffic regulaꢀons, speeding, and improperly maintained vehicles.
• High beꢄmꢅ: Drivers may flash their high beams as a
greeꢀng, or to warn of hazards.
• Driviꢃg uꢃder ꢀhe iꢃflueꢃce is a serious problem.
Be especially alert when driving or walking on weekend evenings.
• Taxi drivers may stop suddenly, run red lights, speed, neglect to use turn signals or cut off other drivers.
Travelers staying less than 90 days may use a valid U.S. driver’s license. Travelers staying for more than 90 days, or those whose license is not in English, must have an International Driving Permit (IDP). Siingle-car crashes, many of which are rollovers, occur frequently. Manual and automatic transition vehicles are available for rent. 4WD is recommended. There are 25.0 road fatalities per 100,000 people, compared to 10.3 in the US and 2.8 in the UK. Resources for consular information and assistance are listed at asirt.org/citizens.
• Pedestrians may unexpectedly cross roads.
Road Conditions
• Rꢂꢄd cꢂꢃꢅꢀrucꢁꢂꢃ and maintenance meet internaꢀonal standards. About 15% of roads are paved; gravel roads are typically in good to excellent condiꢀon.
• Main access roads into Windhoek are paved.
• Cꢂꢃgeꢅꢁꢂꢃ during peak hours in Windhoek is common. • Most roads are undivided and few have shoulders. On gravel roads, it is especially important to maintain safe speeds. • Distances between desꢀnaꢀons may be extremely long. Driver faꢀgue is a concern.
• Rꢂꢄd ꢅigꢃꢅ clearly indicate distances between towns.
• Fuel ꢅhꢂrꢀꢄgeꢅ are common. Power outages may affect availability of fuel. There are few staꢀons outside of
Windhoek. Usually only cash is accepted.
• Wildlife and livestock are oſten in roads and are a parꢀcular danger at dusk and aſter dark. • Avoid driving at night outside of urban areas; many roads are unlit.
• Pedeꢅꢀriꢄꢃ-relꢄꢀed deꢄꢀhꢅ ꢄre high. Pedestrians are urged to use marked crossings, wear bright colored clothing aſter
dark and be cauꢀous when crossing roads.
Regional and Seasonal Conditions
• Cꢂꢄꢅꢀꢄl rꢂꢄdꢅ are oſten coated with salt and may
become dangerously slippery from morning and evening mist.
• Heavy rains can result in flash floods even on paved roads. Gravel roads deteriorate during the rainy season (typically January to April) with mud making some roads impassable.
• Fꢂg frequently occurs along the Skeleton coast from the Walvis Bay region north.
• Dust may reduce visibility. Drive slowly and use low beams.
Traffic Regulations
• Leſt turns on red are illegal, even aſter stopping.
• Permits are required for travel in some areas, including Cape Cross Seal Colony.
• Mꢄximum legꢄl BAC level is 0.08%.
• Road blocks may be in place to enforce speed limits, DUI and licensing laws. Refusing to submit to a breath or blood test is illegal.
• DUI peꢃꢄlꢁeꢅ can include immediate arrest and charges of culpable homicide.
• Heꢄdlighꢀꢅ must be used between sunset and
sunrise, in rain, fog and when visibility is poor.
Image Source: Naꢀons Online Project
- ©ASIRT 2015
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Associaꢀon for Safe Internaꢀonal Road Travel
Road Safety Review: Namibia
• Seat belts must be worn by drivers and passengers. Child safety restraints are required, but enforcement is low.
• Mobile phone use while driving is illegal. Hands-free devices may be used.
• Pꢄrkꢆꢃg ꢅꢆgꢃꢅ are typically in English in tourist areas. Fines, and clamping, may be enforced for incorrect parking.
• Wheꢃ drꢆvꢆꢃg ꢂꢃ grꢄvel, it is advisable to drive well below the
allowable speed limit.
Speed Limits
Type of Road
Urban
Maximum Speed
60 km/h (36 mph)
- Unpaved, Rural
- 80–100 km/h (48–60 mph)
Paved, Open School Zone
100–120 km/h (60–75 mph)
40 km/h (24 mph)
Public Transportation
• Publꢆc ꢀrꢄꢃꢅpꢂrꢀꢄꢁꢂꢃ ꢆꢅ lꢆmꢆꢀed outside of Windhoek. • Iꢃꢀerꢃꢄꢁꢂꢃꢄl buꢅ ꢅervꢆce is available on the Intercape Mainliner
from Cape Town, South Africa and from Victoria Falls,
Always adjust speed according to signage,
hazards and weather condiꢀons. When driving on gravel, it is oſten advisable to drive well below the allowable speed limit.
Zimbabwe.
• Cꢂmbꢆeꢅ (ꢅhꢄred ꢂr lꢂꢃg-dꢆꢅꢀꢄꢃce ꢀꢄxꢆꢅ) are readily available.
• Officꢆꢄl ꢀꢄxꢆꢅ display registraꢀon numbers: a leꢁer followed by two numbers. • Taxis hailed on the street may not be legiꢀmate and may pick up addiꢀonal passengers, which could be a safety concern. Hotels typically book legiꢀmate taxis.
• Crꢆmꢆꢃꢄlꢅ may pose as taxi drivers and rob passengers. • Aſter dꢄrk, extra cauꢀon is advised when riding in a taxi. • Rear-end collisions frequently occur when taxi drivers stop abruptly to pick up passengers. • Helmets that meet mandated standards must be worn by motorcyclists, but helmet wearing rates are low.
• Mꢂderꢃ pꢄꢅꢅeꢃger rꢄꢆl ꢅervꢆce is available on TransNamib.
• The Kꢄzuꢃgulꢄ Ferry crosses the Zambezi river between Botswana and Zambia, near Namibia and Zimbabwe. Safety is a concern during the rainy season because of high water levels.
Emergency Information
• Pꢂlꢆce: 112. Ambulance in Windhoek: 211-111, elsewhere: 10-111.
• Report a crash to the MVA Fund Call Center: 081-96-82. Indicate the locaꢀon, number of vehicles involved, and the number and type of injuries.
• Medical care in Windhoek and in large towns is generally good. • Roadside and emergency assistance are generally unreliable or not available outside of Windhoek. • Disasters: Area is prone to floods and droughts. • Reꢃꢁꢃg ꢄ ꢅꢄꢀellꢆꢀe phꢂꢃe for use in an emergency is recommended; mobile phone service may be unreliable in remote areas.
ASIRT is a non-profit humanitarian organizaꢀon established in memory of Aron Sobel, age 25, who was killed along with 22 other passengers in a Pamukkale Bus Company crash on the roads of Turkey.
Disclaimer: ASIRT provides this informaꢀon as a service to travelers. This Road Safety Review is intended to provide general guidelines for travelers driving in country, whether their own or rental vehicles. ASIRT in no way recommends driving in an unfamiliar country. Any electronic links provided in this Report are for illustraꢀve purposes and ASIRT is not responsible for the content provided within these electronic links and/or videos. Copyright: Purchasers of this Road Safety Review are enꢀtled to use it for purposes of research, educaꢀon, informaꢀon on health, safety and general road and traffic condiꢀons or other non-commercial uses. Neither the whole nor any part of this ASIRT Road Safety Review may be copied in any form or provided to any other party without the prior wriꢁen consent of the copyright owner. Flag images are © Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook.
To order more copies or to order Road Travel Reports for other countries please contact:
Associaꢀon for Safe Internaꢀonal Road Travel, 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852 USA,
1-240-249-0100, www.asirt.org; [email protected]
- ©ASIRT 2015
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