Driving and Safety Tips in Namibia

Tips for Driving in Namibia

If the vehicle you are driving is foreign- registered, then you must have the License and Police Clearance Certificate along with the Proof of Ownership of the Vehicle. All the specifications of your vehicle will be checked by the Namibian police both at the time of entry as well as departure from the country. If the documents and the vehicle are not in the desired order, you will not be allowed to enter into Namibia.

• Like any other country, use of cell phones during driving is strictly prohibited in Namibia as well. So, try to avoid picking phone calls while driving. Best way to attend a call is to park the car on the side.
• Another major way to drive safely and lawfully is to follow the international seat belt rule. In Namibia, all occupants in the car are required to wear seat belts.
• Since, child seats are mandatory for all children below 8 years of age make sure you do keep this in mind while picking a rental. If traveling with younger kids, make sure you have a child seat (s) available.

Driving Rules and Laws in Namibia

• All vehicles must drive on the left side of the road.
• It is mandatory for all the drivers in Namibia to have an international driving permit along with the usual national license of their respective countries.
• The minimum age of the driver according to Namibian laws is between 21 and 25 years. Apart from this, the driving license must also be 1-2 years old for an individual to be able to drive in Namibia. However, the minimum age of the driver may vary across different suppliers and across different categories of cars as well. Some car hire suppliers may also charge extra fees for allowing drivers under a certain age limit to drive across in the country.
• There are different speed limits to be followed by the drivers across different roads in Namibia. The maximum speed limits for all vehicles on open roads are set as 120 km/hr and while in towns, the speed limit is 60- 80 km/hr.
• All vehicles are required to switch on their headlights between sunset as well as sunrise. During day- lit hours, drivers are required to keep their headlights on in case of poor visibility caused due to fog, dust, rain, sandstorms, smoke, mist and other poor weather conditions. This is required for the purpose of providing a warning to the on- coming traffic. Most of the vehicles in Namibia are seen with their headlights on during the day time especially when passing through deserts.

Safety Tips in Namibia

• In Namibia, animals roaming across roads pose a major danger to all travelers and for driver’s safety, there are several different road signs set up all around the country.
• All travelers must pay heed to these road signs to ensure their safety during all times. Elephants, Hippos, Wild Horse, Warthog, Kudu as well as Oryx are some of the animal species that you may come across while traveling towards the southern parts of Namibia, which further makes road signs more crucial here.
• Regions where travelers are expected to come face to face with a specific species of wild animal are well marked and informed with the help of these road signs and warnings.

Car Rental Tip Namibia

The fuel tank is full at the time of pickup of the rental car and you have to return the car with a full tank. You will be charged for the petrol which is required to fill the fuel tank. The fuel tank is full when the car is accepted and you will have to pay for the same. In this case, you can return the vehicle with an empty tank and any remaining fuel in the tank will not be repaid for. Travelers can select any tanking option of their choice and convenience.