The Motor Vehicle Fund (MVA) and the University of Namibia (UNAM) have joined hands in a scientific research on the causes of motor accidents in the country. UNAM and the MVA have since signed a memorandum of understanding on the matter. The MVA has for more than four years been trying to find the real causes for the many accidents daily occurring on Namibian roads.

Jerry Muadinohamba, MVA's Chief Executive Officer, says accidents primarily happen due to high speeds and human error resulting from drivers losing focus while driving.
“UNAM must help the MVA to gain new knowledge to identify the behavioural patterns of both vehicle drivers and pedestrians. It remains a mystery why people still talk on mobile phones whilst driving. Programmes need to be designed to improve vehicle-driving patterns in this country. This needs to be done for the MVA to better understand injury prevention and improved methods to be applied in accidents," he said of the MVA's quest to save lives.
The research, which will cost the MVA N$250 000 per year, will be done by selected final-year UNAM students.
Muadinohamba said the MVA needs information to plan for timely and better treatment of accident victims at hospitals. He said there was a need to develop a greater degree of paramedic services and capacity, something at present very inadequate.
Presently, such paramedics are only trained to provide intermediate life-saving treatment, he said. He said, currently, tow-in companies are normally the first on an accident scene, and then traffic officers and ambulances instead of the other way round.
Professor Osmund Mwandemele of UNAM says pedestrian safety is of great concern to the university because the greater number of the 6 000 students on its campus are daily commuters.