I have been intrigued by the remarkable volume and constant flow of heavy freight traffic on Namibia’s national roads. I have particularly noticed the frequent presence of articulated trucks, multi-axle heavy-haul vehicles and other oversized commercial vehicles travelling across the country, often at night and in the early morning. With too many impatient truck drivers on the highway, driving can be dangerous.

Admittedly, the scale of heavy-freight activity reveals something about the country’s role as a regional transport and logistics corridor. What matters is whether Namibia’s road-traffic regulations and enforcement mechanisms, particularly those governing vehicle dimensions, axle loads, abnormal loads, roadworthiness and driver conduct, are sufficiently effective in minimising sideswipe collisions and other accidents involving heavy commercial vehicles.

Lane discipline is critical for safety on highways. In many situations, drivers are required to keep within a single lane as nearly as practicable until it is safe to proceed. In Namibia, sideswipe collisions on vast gravel and high-speed tarred highways are exceptionally dangerous. They frequently trigger severe secondary accidents, such as rollovers or sudden drops into eroded, deep road shoulders.

While minor sideswipes occur in city traffic or parking lots, high-speed sideswipe crashes on major national long-distance routes, such as B1 or B2, frequently escalate into catastrophic, multi-facility disasters. Namibia’s traffic safety research indicates that sideswipe crashes account for approximately 14.6% (about 15%) of analysed multi-vehicle road accident datasets.

A sideswipe, in which the sides of two vehicles make lateral contact while travelling in the same or opposite directions, is formally classified and recorded as a road traffic collision or accident under the national traffic norms, provided it occurs on a public road and involves moving vehicles.

Essentially, road construction also contributes to sideswipe accidents in Namibia by forcing vehicles into narrower, altered paths and creating sudden bottlenecks where impatient or distracted drivers misjudge distances.

Sideswipe accidents on highways may seem minor compared with head-on or T-bone collisions, but they can be just as dangerous, especially at high speeds. These crashes involve the side of one vehicle scraping or slamming into the side of another while both are travelling in the same or opposite directions. The dynamics of high-speed travel, combined with tight lane spacing and driver error, make highways particularly prone to these types of collision.

One of the dangers of sideswipe accidents on highways is their potential to trigger secondary crashes and chain reactions. When a vehicle is struck from the side at high speeds, it may be forced into the adjacent lane, colliding with a third vehicle. In other scenarios, the impact can cause the vehicle to spin out of control, leading to a head-on collision or a rear-end collision by following traffic. The struck vehicle might also veer off the road and crash into guardrails or median dividers.

Environmental factors 

Narrow lanes, narrow bridges, unclear signage, and shifting traffic patterns in construction zones can contribute to sideswipe accidents. When temporary lane markings are faded or traffic is forced into tighter spaces, the margin for error decreases significantly. In such cases, multiple parties, including contractors or state agencies, may share fault for the sideswipe accidents and the resulting injuries or fatalities.

In addition, sideswipe accidents on Namibian roads are primarily caused by driver errors such as reckless overtaking, speeding, and driver fatigue, combined with narrow highway designs and heavy freight traffic on major routes. Loose gravel or sand on the shoulders of unpaved or narrow paved roads causes vehicles to lose traction and sideswipe oncoming or passing cars when re-correcting. High volumes of heavy haulers on single-lane national routes, especially from dusk till dawn, leave little room for error when passing.

Aggressive or reckless driving 

Drivers who weave between lanes, tailgate, or indulge in street racing are more likely to cause a sideswipe accident. Aggressive manoeuvres reduce other drivers’ reaction time and increase the likelihood of losing control during a lane change. Highway sideswipe crashes involving reckless drivers may also elevate the level of gross negligence, potentially justifying punitive damages.

One of the leading causes of sideswipe accidents is improper or unsafe lane changes. When a driver fails to check their blind spot, neglects to use a turn signal, or misjudges the speed of an adjacent vehicle, they may sideswipe another car while emerging or changing lanes. Common negligent behaviour includes abrupt or last-second lane changes, emerging without yielding to traffic in the adjacent lane, and drifting due to distraction or fatigue.

Several adverse factors also exacerbate the risk of a sideswipe. These include: Unsafe Overtaking: Drivers misjudge oncoming traffic or visibility when passing long freight trucks on narrow single-lane roads. Speeding: High speeds reduce reaction time to correct a swerve or avoid road hazards. Fatigue: Long-distance driving across vast stretches of remote highways leads to loss of concentration and drifting. Using phones or looking away from the wheel causes drivers to drift from their lane.

Engineering and road design 

Therefore, to reduce sideswipes crashes on highways, road authorities and drivers must combine physical road improvement with defensive driving practices. Key measures include improving lane markings, installing rumble strips, widening narrow lanes where feasible, using blind-spot monitoring systems, and avoiding distracted driving. Let’s safe lives by being attentive and driving responsibly.

*Maj. Gen. (RTD) J. B Tjivikua is a Criminal Intelligence Analyst.