Road safety to become compulsory lessons in basic schools

Accra, April 17, GNA - The Ghana Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) is to institute a compulsory lesson in road safety regulation into the basic education curriculum, Mr Noble Appiah, Executive Director of the Commission, said in Accra on Friday.

He said subsequent lessons would be introduced in training schools of the security agencies as part of the 2006-2010 National Road Safety Strategy II to curb the surge of road accidents, Mr Appiah said when Mr Mike Hammah, Minister of Transport, visited some stakeholders in the transport industry.

The visit was to enable the Minister to get first hand information of the work of these agencies and their challenges, and devise effective solutions. Briefing the Minister on the adverse impact of road accidents, Mr Appiah said road crashes cost the nation about 1.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) representing about 165 million dollars. He said between 2000 and 2007 the nation recorded about 91,562 vehicular crashes which claimed 14,489 lives with 45,974 people being seriously injured and 67,389 slightly injured. "About 31 per cent of persons who are involved in road accidents are between the ages of 26 and 35 years followed by about 22 per cent within age 16 to 25 years and 19.1 per cent in the ages of 36 to 45 years." Mr Appiah said the rate of road accidents in the country increased yearly by 10 per cent adding, "with effective interventions in the 2006-2010 National Road Safety Strategy II, vehicular crashes will reduce". Comparing Africa's rate of vehicular population to road accidents, Mr Appiah said the continent had a low vehicular population but was one of highest in terms of fatality. Mr Hammah said it was one of the visions of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to create an enabling environment to promote the nation as a preferred destination for investment to help boost the economy. He said for this goal to be achieved transport stakeholders had a major role to play. He promised the Ministry's preparedness to help realise strategies by facilitating and reviewing deficiencies in some policies like the Road Traffic Act (683) 2004 to fight road accidents. 17 April 09 ATTENTION RECIPIENTS: ITEM 24 ENDS OUR THIRD TRANSMISSION