A N$200,000 drink-driving assessment and enforcement programme on Namibian roads, that will run from July 2026 to January 2027 was launched on 18 June by Namibia Breweries in partnership with the Namibian Road Safety Forum and the Nampol Traffic Law Enforcement Department.
Namibia Breweries in a statement said the programme will establish how many drivers are on the roads under the influence of alcohol and to build a clearer picture of alcohol’s impact on road safety. “The programme will run nine traffic checkpoints over the period and at each one, officers will check vehicle and driver compliance, including licenses, seat-belts and tyres and conduct driver breathalyser testing, with a target of more than 300 tests at every roadblock.”
Breweries Managing Director Waldemar von Lieres said the United Nations goals align with their Brew a Better Namibia 20230 sustainability strategy which will reduce harm, expand alternative beverage choice, and empower consumers to make informed decisions. “This programme puts resources behind that pledge, and behind the data. We are sharing resources because the evidence that emerges will help stakeholders to make our roads safer.”
Chief Executive of the Namibian Road Safety Forum, Horst Heimstädt said the partnership combined enforcement with measurement. “Enforcement changes behaviour on the day. Enforcement paired with reliable data changes policy for the long term. For the first time we will have a consistent, measured view of how alcohol is affecting driver behaviour on our roads, [helping] to act on evidence rather than assumption.”
Head of theTraffic Law Enforcement Directorate in the Namibian Police, Commissioner P.C.J Swartz said enforcement coupled with reliable data allows authorities to understand the true extent of risk, allocate resources more effectively and develop targeted interventions that save lives.
From the left, Road Safety Forum Chief Executive, Horst Heimstädt, Head of Traffic Law Enforcement in the Namibian Police, Commissioner P.C.J. Swartz and Namibia Breweries Managing Director Waldemar von Lieres.
