Self Driving in Namibia 04 january 200728 November 2007
Unlike some countries in Africa, Namibia has a good road network. This is a mixture of tar and gravel roads and these are generally well maintained and as a result it is easy for tourists to hire cars and drive around Namibia.
Before travelling to Namibia, you should obtain an International Driving Permit available from the AA in the UK or AAA in the US for a small charge. You should take this and your normal driving license as you may need to show them when hiring a vehicle.
Most places in Namibia, including all the main tourist destinations can be reached using a normal 2 wheel-drive car, but in the rainy season you may want to go for a 4WD vehicle in case you need to go through any shallow rivers that may cross the road (on some roads, fords are used rather than bridges but the rivers only tend to carry water for a few days each year during the rainy season and are dry the rest of the time).
2WD vehicles tend to be cheaper to rent, and have a boot (trunk) for storing baggage out of sight and are fine for most trips and are probably a good choice unless you are planning to drive off road.
4WD vehicles are more expensive to rent and use more fuel. However they do have some advantages - you are slightly higher off the ground so may get a better view when watching game, and they can cope with crossing sand patches or small rivers better than a 2WD. A disadvantage is that their higher centre of gravity makes them more likely to roll if cornering too quickly.
The main routes (e.g. Windhoek to Etosha) are tar roads which are well maintained and are easy to drive on. The majority of other roads tend to be gravel roads. These are generally very well maintained, but do need extra care to be take.
Tips for driving on gravel roads:
* The speed limit is 80km/hr and it is important to stick to this speed for safety - many drivers are lulled into a false sense of security by the good condition of the road and this can be dangerous.
* When vehicles are approaching from the opposite direction then you should both reduce your speed - this reduces the chances of stones being thrown up by either vehicle damaging the other, and also helps reduce the size of the dust cloud your vehicle throws up.
* Switch on your lights when travelling through a dust cloud
* When overtaking, wait till you have good visibility of the road ahead for a reasonable distance, and once you have passed you should not pull back in front of the other vehicle till you are around 100 metres past them to avoid blinding them with your dust cloud.
* Slow down before bends and dips in the road.
* Keep a constant eye out for potholes, patches of loose sand or other hazards and reduce speed as soon as you spot hazards as taking late evading action can easily result in a skid.
When hiring a car, you should check to make sure it has been supplied with a jack, and a spanner that fits the wheel nuts - you don’t want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire only to find you have no tools to change a wheel. If you do have to change a wheel, make sure the nuts are fastened tightly - gravel roads cause a lot of vibration so the nuts need to be tight to ensure they done work loose.
It is always a good idea to take plenty of water with you - if you do have a breakdown then you need to have water to drink to prevent dehydration. When you stop for fuel, most petrol stations sell water.
Driving at night is something to avoid wherever possible. If you are forced into a position where you have to drive at night, drive a lot slower than normal and take extra care - a lot of wildlife is more active at night and may react to your headlights and dash out in front of your vehicle. The colouration of many antelopes makes them extremely hard to spot at night, and collision with even a small kudu could do serious damage to your vehicle.
If you have to drive in sand and become stuck, first of all check if you have a pump to re-inflate your tyres. If you do, then let some air out of the tyres to reduce the pressure - this should provide extra traction to help you get through the sand.
When renting a vehicle, an important factor to consider is insurance, and the collision damage waiver (or excess) in particular. The CDW can vary a lot between firms, but is generally very high, so in the event of a collision you can end up paying most of the cost of repairs. Many insurance policies state that if the accident is due to negligence or no other vehicles are involved in an accident on a gravel road, you are liable for all the costs although some firms can offer policies to cover this for an extra charge. The best way for tourists from the UK to hire a vehicle without these risks is to hire the vehicle through Sunvil travel in the UK - if you rent the vehicle in Namibia through Sunvil, they offer a full 100% insurance cover policy, meaning you wont be landed with any repair costs even if the accident is due to your negligence while driving on a gravel road.
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