158 killed in a month

A total of 158 persons were killed in road crashes nationwide during the month of April this year with 20 of the recorded deaths said to be children.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Alexander Obeng, Director of Research at the Ghana Police Service, made this known during the 3rd Road Safety Awareness Week, which was climaxed with a safety walk in Tema on Saturday.

The about 7-kilometre walk which was themed, “Road Safety: a Shared Responsibility,” brought together agencies under the Ministry of Transport such as the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA), Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), among others.

Tema was said to have been identified by the Ghana Police Service as an area where road crashes are very high hence, the decision to climax the road safety awareness in the metropolis with the safety walk.

The Director of Research said the figure was worrying and needed strategic effort and teamwork from all stakeholders to reduce the trend.

He admonished drivers to be careful when crossing institutions, hospitals, schools, churches, pedestrian crossing and homes in order to prevent crashing innocent people.

Mr. Jacob Adorkor, Director of Port, who spoke on behalf of the agencies, urged Ghanaians to change their attitudes from the notion that “it is God who gives and God who takes” and be responsible for their own destinies.

According to him, the large number of fatalities in those accidents was often preventable, yet the lack of responsibility on the part of all road users and particularly drivers, had continued to aggravate the situation.

The third UN Global Road Safety Week focuses on children and road safety. It seeks to highlight the plight of children on the world’s roads and generate action to better ensure their safety.