Young Ghanaians dying through accidents

The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), says most victims of road crashes in the country constitute the most productive and economically important workforce aged from 15 to 45 years.

In view of this, the NRSC has called for a multi-sectoral approach by stakeholders to deal decisively with the phenomenon in order to save lives and property.

Speaking at this year’s Public Transport Day in Takoradi, Mr Samuel Obeng Asiamah, Western Regional Manager of the Commission, said road safety is a multi-disciplinary issue that requires a healthy mix of advocacy, enforcement, engineering and emergency service measures to ensure reduction in road crashes and casualties.

The event was held on the theme: “Empowering Pedestrian and Passengers to Demand Safety.” It aimed at increasing awareness of road safety and raise passenger and pedestrian safety profile.

It brought together stakeholders including transport operators, security services, Ghana Red Cross and drivers.

Mr Asiamah observed that road traffic crashes remain a developmental issue with consequences for the country’s health system.

He said the situation could change for the better if “we work together to advocate global best road practices”.

He said 132 lives have been lost through road crashes in the region this year with 12O injuries.

Mr Asiamah observed that the current rate of road crashes is one of the leading causes of death in the region, which is worse than lives lost through cholera, AIDS and armed robberies.

The Regional NRSC Manager said the Commission had re-introduced lollipop crossing stands in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis intended to make crossing of pedestrian points safe for school children on urbanised and school environments where children cross the road at the risk of being knocked down.

The Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Alfred Ekow Gyan, said the cost of road crashes was estimated at 419 million dollars in 2OO9 thus, representing 1.6 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

He said passengers and pedestrians represent 67 per cent of road traffic crashes and 23 per cent of the victims are passengers in public bus transport.

He called for concerted efforts by stakeholders to reduce the menace.

The Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Alex Isaac Quainoo, tasked motorists to undergo regular retraining to upgrade their knowledge in view of the increasing global changes in driving so that they would be abreast of the modern trends.

He asked drivers to renew their driving licenses regularly to prevent a brush with the law, adding that the police would not tolerate temporary extract given to drivers’ whose licences are missing as an excuse for driving.

He urged passengers to keep drivers that drive recklessly on the road on check in order to avert preventable accidents since more than 85 per cent of road crashes are caused by human errors.

The Regional Police Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department of Ghana Police Service, Assistant Superintendent of Police Daniel Zah, expressed worry over dysfunctional traffic lights in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis and called on the Urban Roads Department and other relevant institutions to fix them to avert unwarranted accidents.

He randomly selected four drivers at the function for alcohol test and one of them proved positive with minimal level of alcohol in his body.

He advised motorists to desist from drunk-driving in order not to put the lives of passengers in danger.

The NRSC presented plaques and warning triangles to three drivers who had distinguished them in the driving profession.