US$410m lost annually through road accidents

Mr. Daniel Wuaku, Brong–Ahafo Regional Director of National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) on Wednesday advised the public not to politicize road safety measures in the nation’s interest.

He said such interventions were periodically carried out by stakeholders to reduce the spate of road accidents in the country.

Mr. Wuaku, who was speaking at the first general meeting of the Brong – Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs for this year in Sunyani, said 410 Million US dollars was lost by the country annually through road accidents.

He explained that road safety measures were as important as decongestion exercises, which were occasionally carried out by city authorities and the Police to prevent hawkers and traders from doing businesses in prohibited and restricted areas.

Mr. Wuaku stressed that about 10,742 people had lost their lives between 1991 and 2000, whilst 2,330 people died from various road accidents in 2011.

Mr. Wuaku said the Ashanti, Greater Accra and Brong–Ahafo Regions came first, second and third respectively on the list of regions with the highest cases of road accidents in the country. He added “Records show that the Brong – Ahafo Region is fast becoming one of the dangerous destinations to travel to.”

He said within the first quarter of 2012, 150 cases were reported, of which 60 people lost their lives to road accidents whilst 269 people were injured during the period.

Mr. Wuaku mentioned indiscipline on the roads and apathy on the part of the general public as some of the causes of road accidents in the country.

He said inadequate personnel and logistics were some of the major challenges confronting the Commission in the region.

Mr. Wuaku appealed to the chiefs to support road safety campaigns, and proposed the establishment of a regional road safety fund to promote such initiatives.**