Don't evacuate accident victims from vehicles - NRSA

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) on Wednesday advised residents of communities along the nation’s roads and highways to desist from the forceful evacuation of victims of vehicular accidents to protect lives.

However, they must try to call and inform the Police, Fire or Ambulance Services.

Mr Kwasi Agyenim-Boateng, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Director of the NRSA, gave the advice during a road safety sensitization exercise organised by the Authority for drivers and passengers at some lorry stations in the Kintampo North Municipality of the Bono East Region.

Studies, he indicated showed that some victims survived the accidents but were strangled to death in attempts to evacuate them from the vehicles at the accident scene.

He said people who tried to support and evacuate accident victims lacked the required skills and, in the process, strangled some to death.

He said while it was not bad to assist accident victims, that should be done by trained institutions.

He advised drivers and people who rushed to accident scenes to inform the media and relevant institutions.

Mr Agyenim-Boateng commended commercial drivers on Techiman-Kintampo-Tamale highway for the reduction in road accidents because of improved driver discipline.

He said road safety education had gone down well with the drivers, saying many of them understood the message and were observing road regulations and signals.

Mr Agyenim-Boateng expressed the hope that drivers would continue to ensure sanity on the road.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Francis Adjei Brobbey, the Commander of the Kintampo Divisional Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), advised drivers to undertake regular maintenance, check their tyres, brakes and lighting systems before embarking on any journey.

He reminded drivers to renew their licenses, insurance and roadworthy certificates, saying the Police would not spare them for flouting road safety regulations.

DSP Brobbey advised drivers to be cautious on the road to control human errors which contributed about 90 per cent of road crashes and fatalities.