Road Safety Commission begins accident-free Easter campaign

The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in the Volta Region, has begun road safety enforcement campaign in the region ahead of the Easter festivities.

The exercise, with support from the police and personnel from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, is to help reduce road crashes during the celebrations.

The region recorded a total of 144 road crashes during the first quarter of 2016, and the Commission is hoping to bring the crashes down this year, having already recorded 123 for the first quarter of 2017.

Ms Joana Fafa Ayer, Planning Officer, NRSC Volta Regional Secretariat, at a campaign trail at Aflao, said the southern Volta, Ho area, and the Eastern corridor, were accident prone areas in the region, and called on all to be cautious on those stretches during the festivities.

Mr. Sampson Agbeko, District Police Crime Officer, Aflao, said though the environment and vehicles contributed to accidents, human factors such as drunkenness, carelessness, disregard for road signs and speeding largely contributed to about 97 per cent of it all.

He therefore warned drivers against ignoring police flags and instructions, and urged travelers to report undisciplined drivers to the police. Togbi Hodzi Dunyo IV, Chief of Ave-Atanve and Chief Executive Officer, Road Safety Enforcement Foundation (RSEF), a non-profit entity with focus on road safety, urged the Commission to build road safety information centres that would offer tit-bits to drivers and passengers.

Mr. Benjamin Katsekpor, Volta Regional Progressive Transport Association (PROTOA) Chairman, called for tighter collaboration among driver unions on “enforcing internal safety” and safety on the road.

Mr. Michael Klutse, Chairman, Ghana Private Road Transport Union Branch One, Aflao, bemoaned the short periods of training given to drivers at driving schools, which he said was to blame for the high numbers of private cars recorded in road crashes.