High percentage of road accident victims is children

Available statistics show that almost 46 per cent of Ghana's road accidents involve children below 16 years. These accidents mainly occur when children are crossing the roads, more often to school and playgrounds, among other places.

Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, Acting Director-General of Ghana Education Service (GES) said this at a one-day training of trainers' orientation workshop for some selected teachers.

The trainers will in turn train their colleagues in combating the threat of accidents that bedevil road users most especially, school children. It was organised by the GES in collaboration with the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC).

Mr Tettey-Enyo said the workshop is important because it is only a few adults and children who know and practice the simplest and most practical techniques for safe crossing of roads.

"These days even drivers have ignored the crossing regulations...it has been noted that older persons within the vulnerable road user groups hardly practise or exhibit safe road usage for the younger ones to emulate," he said.

He said it has been established that over 90 per cent of all road accidents in Ghana are caused by human errors.

"Ironically a rather large percentage of our drivers are illiterate. Some of them put unimaginable and ridiculous meanings on road signs and directions." Mr Tettey-Enyo said the nation, therefore, needs to train its young ones on road safety network.

Mr Noble Appiah, Acting Executive Director of NRSC, said six people die from road accident everyday. Out of the number two are children.

He said the country has been divided into four zones to facilitate their work. Zone one comprises Eastern, Volta and Greater Accra regions while zone two covers Western and Central regions.

Mr Appiah said zone three comprises Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions and zone four covers the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. He reiterated NRSC call for road safety education to be included in the syllabus of schools.