Statement: NRSC cautions motorists ahead of X’mass

The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) extends its warmest regards to the motoring public and our stakeholders including the media for their continuous support to make our roads safer in the course of the year.

This year, Ing. Noble John Appiah was reassigned to Metro Mass Transit Company Limited as Managing Director after 13 years with the Commission as its longest serving Executive Director. Ing. Mrs. May Obiri-Yeboah then took the mandate as the Executive Director in July 2013.

The Commission raised its road-user education and publicity to create greater awareness on road safety and did have several advocacy and engagement sessions with stakeholders and captains of industries.

Key among these were workshops for Magistrates and Prosecutors on the new Road Traffic Regulations L.I. 2180, 2012, trainer of trainers workshop for School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinators on the use of road safety teaching manuals for basic schools, Workshops for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and their Coordinating Directors and other Professionals on how to mainstream road safety into MMDA development programmes.

We again initiated a programme to ban the importation of substandard tyres as a major road safety risk while we launched the “Be Alert..Look out for other road users” National Pedestrian Safety Campaign to raise the profile of pedestrian deaths in the course of the year.

The year 2013 has been relatively better on account of reductions in road traffic crashes, deaths, and injuries. Statistics available to the Commission show reductions of 3%, 9% and 9.5% in the number of crashes reported, persons killed and persons injured respectively between January and November this year as compared with the situation of last year.

This situation is unacceptable but we remain motivated to further reduce traffic related deaths and injuries by 50% by the year 2020 in line with the Decade of Action and National Road Safety Strategy III targets.

Ing. Mrs. May Obiri-Yeboah, Executive Director of the Commission says, “December is a high risk month for road crashes often as a result of the fatal three risk factors of speeding, drink-driving and driver fatigue .I wish to appeal to all road users to be cautious during this yuletide. Just imagine what your family and friends would do without you this Christmas and in the New Year before you engage in any risky behavior on the road”.

Road Safety is everyone’s responsibility. You need to arrive in 2014 alive but first must be responsible as a Driver, Pedestrian and a Passenger. Let us celebrate this season in moderation so that together we can Arrive Safely in 2014.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year

Safe drive, Safe Walk and Safe Travel

‘KKA’

Kwame Koduah Atuahene, Esq.

Head, Communications