Upper West records reduction in road crashes

The number of road accident cases in the Upper West Region reduced from 235 in 2013 to 172 in 2014, statistics from the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service in the region has indicated.

A total of 69 commercial vehicles were involved in road crashes in 2013, but the number reduced to 45 in 2014, whilst that of private vehicles reduced from 105 in 2013 to 78 in 2014.

Motor bicycles involved in accidents dropped from 172 in 2013 to 145 in 2014.

Fifty four productive lives were lost in 2014 as against 75 deaths in 2013, while serious and minor accident cases recorded in 2014 declined in numbers.

The region registered 81 serious accident cases in 2013, as against 68 cases in 2014, while it also recorded 86 minor accident cases in 2013 as against 55 cases in 2014.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Joseph Oppong, in charge of the Regional MTTD who gave the statistics to the Ghana News Agency, said the number of persons injured and admitted to hospital for various degrees of injuries reduced from 308 in 2013 to 232 in 2014.

He described the entire accident cases recorded in the region as road crashes rather than accidents, because they were of human sources than mechanical faults.

DSP Oppong said of all the crash situations, majority of the drivers were without driving licenses, and did lack the required skills to drive, saying all the crashes could have been avoided if due regard was given to road signs and regulations, and a little patience.

He disclosed that the Police had put in place some measures to check over-speeding, over-loading and driving or riding without license, to help reduce accidents in 2015.