Drivers urged to avoid using mobile phones

Mr Dickson Kofi Brobbey, a Training Facilitator at the National Drivers Academy, has appealed to drivers to avoid using mobile phones whiles driving to reduce road crashes in the country.

He said research shows that the use of mobile phones whiles driving was currently the leading cause of road crashes, as contents of messages tend to distract the attention of drivers.

Addressing some commercial drivers at a two-day training course at Abesim, near Sunyani, Mr Brobbey said mobile phone use among drivers has become a major challenge in the fight against road crashes in the country.

He appealed to drivers to park their vehicles when they intend to receive calls or switch off their mobile phones whenever they begin their journey.

Attended by 35 commercial drivers from the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMT), the road safety training course was organised by the Brong-Ahafo Regional Secretariat of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC).

Mr Brobbey said human error contributed to about 90-94 per cent of all road crashes in the country and urged drivers to be vigilant and observe warning signs at all times.

He said driver indiscipline was still quite high though the NRSC and its partners have intensified education on road safety.

Mr Brobbey said the use of abusive language by motorists also distracted the attention of drivers as most of them lose concentration whiles driving.

He expressed concern that some commercial drivers, especially taxi and “trotro” drivers ignored traffic signals and flouted road traffic regulations which also led to road crashes. Mr Agyabeng Mensah-Aborampa, Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of NRSC, said drunk-driving is a serious offence and admonished drivers to desist from the habit as culprits would be prosecuted.

He appealed to transport unions to organize periodic training programmes for their drivers and continue to educate them on the need to avoid alcohol. Mr Mensah-Aborampa urged the participants to impart the knowledge acquired to their colleagues.

The Academy was established in 2010 to facilitate the training of commercial drivers on defensive driving.

It operates in collaboration with the NRSC and the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA).