Assin North records drastic reduction in road fatalities

Due to sustained stakeholders education and awareness creation on road traffic regulations and regular motor checks, the Police in Assin Fosu have recorded drastic reduction in road fatalities.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Charles Addai-Boateng, Divisional Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD), revealed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Assin Fosu on Friday.

He said in 2016, the Police recorded a total of 27 road crashes in November and December alone during which nine people were killed and 14 others got injured but in 2017, a total of 14 accidents with 10 deaths and 12 injuries have been recorded over the same period.

He mentioned some causes of road accidents to include; potholes in the area, drink-driving, fatigue, overloading, failure to use seat belts, wrongful overtaking, and speeding.

To that end, he reiterated the determination of the police to ensure that this year's Christmas festivities was accident-free and cautioned that motorists who did not follow traffic regulations would be brought to book.

ASP Addai-Boateng assured that the police had put in place measures that would help reduce fatalities on the roads, aside intensifying its awareness creation at lorry terminals, schools, churches, mosques and the communities throughout the year.

The exercise was to educate drivers and others who ply the route from Nyankomasi Ahenkro to Assin Praso to adhere to road safety rules and regulations to help prevent the occurrence of accidents.

He condemned drivers, who park and load on the shoulders of the road and advised them to be law-abiding and adhere to the ethics of the driving profession.

He also warned them against driving under risky circumstances to cause untimely deaths adding that “the best driver is the one who returns home safely and peacefully after the day’s task”.

The Commander appealed to the various transport unions to ensure that station guards checked overloading before vehicles took off. ASP Addai-Boateng urged all Ghanaians to make road safety a passion by using seat belts and crash helmets to reduce accidents and appealed to passengers to caution drivers when they speed.