Mr Isaac Sam the Municipal Chief Executive of the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abream (KEEA) Municipal assembly on Wednesday said road safety committees should not only concentrate on organizing seminars and workshops on road safety.
He said they should in addition to that also move to the streets and educate the public on the effects of road crashes.
He said such public education should be extended to the various basic, secondary and tertiary institutions, “to instill discipline in the younger ones to help reduce road accidents in the country.”
Mr Sam made the statement at a day’s orientation for members of the KEEA road safety committee at Elmina.
He said it was imperative for the committee members to come out with pragmatic approaches that would help curb road accidents, considering the rate at which lives and property were lost through road accidents
The Regional Manager of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Mr Stephen Anokye, said most road accidents were due to human error and that it was important “for all to be educated on the dos and don’ts s of driving”.
“The number of crashes and fatalities on our roads are unacceptable and we should be able to prevent them”, he said.
He said despite the reduction in the number of crashes on the roads it was unacceptable to record the high number of deaths and injuries and stressed that it was time driver s and other road users become more responsible and avoid the deaths on the road.
Mr Anokye was also not happy with the number of deaths recorded through motorcycle accidents, adding that, in the year 2000, 42 people lost their lives through motorcycle accidents but the figure jumped to 210 in 2010 and described the situation as worrisome.
The Regional Manager said the commission has put in place a number of measures to stabilize road traffic fatalities by 2015.
According to him the commission would strengthen institutional capacity, ensure safer road and mobility, safer vehicle, safer road user and effective enforcement practices as well as efficient post crash response.
He said the commission in collaboration with the Ghana Highways Authority and urban roads would ensure that regular road maintenances, the erection of road signs and street markings and pedestrian zebra crossing are carried out.
Mr Anokye said the commission has also put in place a road service management limited to help handle the issue of “broken down vehicles” on the roads and stressed that it was the responsibility of the committees members to report such cases.
He said plans were far advanced to give drivers first aid training to enable them to handle accident victims.
Superintendent Paul Aduhene, Central Regional commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) expressed concern about the way pedestrians use unauthorized means of crossing roads instead of using the zebra crossing, stressing that, most of such actions resulted in road accidents.
He advised drivers to wear their seat belts and urged passengers not to patronize vehicles that are not road worthy.**
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