Road Carnage

Despite the numerous road safety campaigns which go on in the country each passing day, the numbers of people who die as a result of motor accident seem to be increasing year after year. No wonder the media frequently gives us a clear picture of the accident situation by giving us gruesome pictures of mutilated bodies to deter drivers in order to be careful as the ply the roads.

However, in spite of the access of such heinous accident scenes always on T.V and in the daily’s, we are always faced with the problem of careless driving which is on statistics as the number one cause of road accidents nation wide. Some drivers are always drunk, while others have no idea about the rules and regulations of driving as a profession. Such unscrupulous drivers have no business being on our roads in the first place.

Drivers should be made to understand that, the lives of the people they carry in their vehicles are in their hands and they have a great responsibility of taking these passengers to their destinations safe and sound.

I believe it is high time stringent safety measures on our roads are enforced. The Motor Traffic and Transportation Unit (MTTU) should be extra vigilant and apprehend all those inefficient drivers as well as those who drive without appropriate documents.

There should also be a mechanism whereby prospective drivers of commercial vehicles ‘‘tro tro’’ drivers especially go through vigorous training at D.V.L.A approved driving schools. And also ensure that proper maintenance of the vehicles is put in place.

I suggest that drivers who kill a lot of people through their carelessness should be made to face the law and be given stiffer punishment to deter others from going that same way.

Ghanaand I once again appeal to drivers to make our roads as accident free as possible and bring sanity on our roads as we enter a new year of 2010.

Grace Asare