Typical of developing countries in Africa, Namibia has more gravel than tarred roads, making it an off-roader's dream driving experience. Out of an estimated 70 000 kms of road, only 8 000 kms are currently tarred, linking the major centres of our country from Noordoewer in the far south to Oshikango in the north. The tarred and gravel roads are well-maintained increasing the attraction for and investment in quality brands of vehicles.
Due to the nature of Namibia's geography, urban settlements are often found several hundreds of kilometres apart. In southern Namibia for example, the typical distance between towns is not less than 200 kms; it therefore makes sense for Namibian drivers to invest in vehicles capable of tackling the open (on and off) road enthusiastically, with a heavy load and carrying passengers.
(Photograph: Driving conditions between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, through the Namib Desert; every year this road claims commuter lives but to date remains a simple 2-laned conduit, forcing motorists to overtake into the oncoming traffic lane)
There are an estimated 275 000 (new and used) cars on Namibia's roads this year, a figure that grows with every passing month. This figure excludes self-driving tourists and heavy-duty vehicles transporting goods to and from South Africa. Our population currently stands at 2, 4 million inhabitants, and the number of vehicles divided by 70 000 kms of road, makes it clear our existing road infrastructure is adequate, with almost no traffic congestion worth mentioning, not even at the coast during the summer holiday.
As an experienced driver, I value safety in driving as much as the next person but as a driving enthusiast, Namibia is a dream come true. Some temporary conditions are extremely harsh on vehicles; such as the fine dusty wind on the road between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay in the Namib Desert, or the extreme heat of the stretch of tar between Mariental and Keetmanshoop. These aside (and hopefully avoided), the long distances between settlements offer the best in terms of driving to test not only the quality and performance of the machine at your behest, but also to race against yourself (and time).
(Photograph: Beautiful stretch of 2-laned tar between Keetmanshoop and Luderitz; cautionary sign for wild horses)
Do it safely though because the speed limit on our open roads, between towns, is 120 km, far less than a good quality sedan is capable of. The urban speed limit in Namibia is a mere 60 km, everywhere. I completely sympathise with drivers who complain about the heavy-duty vehicles and trucks ferrying goods on the main highway (B1) running through Namibia. In most instances, there are only 2-lanes forcing both slow and fast-moving traffic to proceed at a frustrating 80 km per hour and as slow as 40 km per hour, uphill. Even though we hardly have traffic congestion, accidents on Namibian roads are increasing and more and more voices are saying the B1 (2-laned) is often blocked by slow-moving trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, during peak traffic hours.
(Photograph: A common sight on Namibian roads - heavy-duty trucks tailed by convoys of consumer vehicles and forced to use a single lane, resulting in bottle-necked traffic)
The civil engineering firms, Roads Contractor Company (RCC) and the Ministry of Works and Transport maintaining our roads network are doing an excellent job keeping the existing tarred and gravel roads in pristine condition, easily navigable by all makes and types of vehicles. There are vehicles of varying speeds currently using the B1 and other roads in Namibia, and motorists do not have the same characteristics nor the same approach to long-distance driving. Overtaking slow-moving traffic is a necessity on open roads like the B1 mainly because the long distances between towns result in literally hours spent driving within the confines of a vehicle between destinations. At the moment, most Namibian motorists are forced to overtake slow-moving traffic in the oncoming traffic lane, putting everyone on the road at risk. I enjoy driving but can guarantee that not many people do; some motorists prefer spending time on other activities besides driving 3 to 8 hours.
(Photograph: Trucks and traffic on the B2 highway (2-laned); courtesy of the West Coast Safety Iniative)
Isn't it time we considered expanding our biggest national artery, the B1, to 4-lanes all the way, to accommodate both fast and slow-moving traffic and to lessen the risk of accidents?
Due to the nature of Namibia's geography, urban settlements are often found several hundreds of kilometres apart. In southern Namibia for example, the typical distance between towns is not less than 200 kms; it therefore makes sense for Namibian drivers to invest in vehicles capable of tackling the open (on and off) road enthusiastically, with a heavy load and carrying passengers.
(Photograph: Driving conditions between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, through the Namib Desert; every year this road claims commuter lives but to date remains a simple 2-laned conduit, forcing motorists to overtake into the oncoming traffic lane)
There are an estimated 275 000 (new and used) cars on Namibia's roads this year, a figure that grows with every passing month. This figure excludes self-driving tourists and heavy-duty vehicles transporting goods to and from South Africa. Our population currently stands at 2, 4 million inhabitants, and the number of vehicles divided by 70 000 kms of road, makes it clear our existing road infrastructure is adequate, with almost no traffic congestion worth mentioning, not even at the coast during the summer holiday.
As an experienced driver, I value safety in driving as much as the next person but as a driving enthusiast, Namibia is a dream come true. Some temporary conditions are extremely harsh on vehicles; such as the fine dusty wind on the road between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay in the Namib Desert, or the extreme heat of the stretch of tar between Mariental and Keetmanshoop. These aside (and hopefully avoided), the long distances between settlements offer the best in terms of driving to test not only the quality and performance of the machine at your behest, but also to race against yourself (and time).
(Photograph: Beautiful stretch of 2-laned tar between Keetmanshoop and Luderitz; cautionary sign for wild horses)
Do it safely though because the speed limit on our open roads, between towns, is 120 km, far less than a good quality sedan is capable of. The urban speed limit in Namibia is a mere 60 km, everywhere. I completely sympathise with drivers who complain about the heavy-duty vehicles and trucks ferrying goods on the main highway (B1) running through Namibia. In most instances, there are only 2-lanes forcing both slow and fast-moving traffic to proceed at a frustrating 80 km per hour and as slow as 40 km per hour, uphill. Even though we hardly have traffic congestion, accidents on Namibian roads are increasing and more and more voices are saying the B1 (2-laned) is often blocked by slow-moving trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, during peak traffic hours.
(Photograph: A common sight on Namibian roads - heavy-duty trucks tailed by convoys of consumer vehicles and forced to use a single lane, resulting in bottle-necked traffic)
The civil engineering firms, Roads Contractor Company (RCC) and the Ministry of Works and Transport maintaining our roads network are doing an excellent job keeping the existing tarred and gravel roads in pristine condition, easily navigable by all makes and types of vehicles. There are vehicles of varying speeds currently using the B1 and other roads in Namibia, and motorists do not have the same characteristics nor the same approach to long-distance driving. Overtaking slow-moving traffic is a necessity on open roads like the B1 mainly because the long distances between towns result in literally hours spent driving within the confines of a vehicle between destinations. At the moment, most Namibian motorists are forced to overtake slow-moving traffic in the oncoming traffic lane, putting everyone on the road at risk. I enjoy driving but can guarantee that not many people do; some motorists prefer spending time on other activities besides driving 3 to 8 hours.
(Photograph: Trucks and traffic on the B2 highway (2-laned); courtesy of the West Coast Safety Iniative)
Isn't it time we considered expanding our biggest national artery, the B1, to 4-lanes all the way, to accommodate both fast and slow-moving traffic and to lessen the risk of accidents?
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