The roads within Namibia are first class by African standards with nearly 4500 kilometres of good tarred roads and an extensive network of district gravel roads.
Driving is done on the left-hand side of the road with the speed limit being 120km per hour on major and minor routes outside of city limits and 60km per hour within city limits. It is highly recommended that a maximum speed of 80km per hour NOT be exceeded when travelling on ANY gravel or sand roads. The wearing of seat belts is compulsory for all vehicle occupants.
Wildlife wandering on roads is a special driving hazard in Namibia, especially at night. An encounter at high speeds with antelope or cattle can be fatal. The salt-surfaced roads at the coast can also be deceptively dangerous, especially when they have been made slick by morning or evening mist. Most major roads are undivided with one lane in each direction. Drivers should remain alert for passing vehicles and exercise caution when passing slow moving vehicles.
Driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal in Namibia. A charge of culpable homicide may be made against a driver involved in an accident resulting in death.
Flashing of high beams and similar signals could mean anything from a friendly greeting to a warning. When encountering a motorcade, motorists are encouraged to make way immediately and follow promptly any instructions given by the officials present.
Roadside assistance and emergency medical services outside of Windhoek may be unreliable or non-existent. Assistance on main roads that link Namibia's larger towns, however, is generally good due to quality cellphone networks. Emergency services contact numbers vary from town to town. The Namibian telephone directory has a list of emergency contact numbers at the beginning of each town listing.
Although the main routes in Namibia are tarred, more often than not one's travel plans will lead one to travel on a gravel or sand road. This is especially true for guests driving to Sossusvlei Lodge as all roads leading to Sesriem are gravel surfaced.
These type of roads are usually well maintained, but sometimes one encounters heavily corrugated stretches. The unpleasant, 5 to 10cm deep grooves develop through too fast driving. The vehicles and their passengers are thoroughly shaken up on corrugated roads. It becomes supportable, if one virtually "flies" over these stretches by driving relatively speedily so that the wheels don't have to dip into each groove deepening. The optimal speed is usually about 80km per hour.
Each year car rental companies in Namibia register numerous accidents, usually with vehicles being rolled over. Inexperienced drivers get too far to the margin of the gravel roads that are usually slightly vaulted in the middle. When the driver then pulls the steering wheel around abruptly, the accident occurs. In particular, light four-wheel-drives react to such driving mistakes by rolling around the longitudinal axis and the vehicle turns over.
Drivers should reduce speed significantly for curves or turns and should heed all warning signs. Hitting a sand patch or driving around a curve too fast can easily result in a rollover or spinout. Many accidents on gravel roads occur when tourists exceed safe speeds on corners or in areas recently damaged by rains. There is only one way to avoid this: PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY!
