WINDHOEK, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Namibia is making steady progress in combating road carnage, with the number of fatalities by October this year decreasing by 31 percent year-on-year, said Transport Minister John Mutorwa.

Statistics show a steady decrease from Jan. 1 to Oct. 28 in crashes by 9 percent, injuries by 18 percent and fatalities by 31 percent compared to the same period in 2017, Mutorwa said at a conference to find solutions to road fatalities in Namibia.

Year-to-date crash statistics collated by the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund revealed that 317 males and 122 females succumbed to crashes during the same period, according to the minister.

"Women are determined to be the catalyst of change in road safety and have the courage to stand up and say enough is enough, let us stop the carnage on Namibia's roads," said Mutorwa.

Road fatalities in Namibia are among the highest in the Southern African Development Community region, according to the government.

Namibia hosted the first Women Road Safety Conference, and the subsequent establishment of the Women in Road Safety Network in the country on Wednesday in the capital city Windhoek.