The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), says it is possible for Ghana to enjoy the Easter festivities without recording any road traffic accidents if motorists and pedestrians adhere to road safety regulations.
The Executive Director, Mrs. Obiri Yeboah who was speaking in Takoradi after an Easter road safety campaign durbar with drivers said, the country cannot afford to continuously lose her workforce through road crashes.
Figures from the Western Regional Road Safety Commission show that 31 people were killed through 217 road accidents in the region in the first quarter of 2019, which represents about a 60 percent reduction of the 97-persons killed in the same period last year as a result of 689 road accidents.
To further reduce these disturbing cases, the National Safety Commission, the Police MTTD together with the Red Cross are conducting a simultaneous Easter road safety education across the country.
May Obiri Yeboah told Citi News that: “The campaign has been encouraging as most of the drivers we stopped were receptive to our message.”
“I have been impressed with drivers we stopped so far as most of them were seen wearing their seat belts. This gives a good impression that the campaign on a seat belt is going well. What is left is the other passengers too in the car also put on their seat belts. We have however come across some tricycle riders who did not have license and helmet and the Police have spoken to them, but these are some of the concerns that lead to fatal accidents. In fact, some tricycle riders did not have a driving mirror which would make it difficult to drive. So we hope that they would take the education seriously to help prevent accidents.”
Mrs. Obiri Yeboah said the Commission is optimistic that the roads would be safer this Easter season.
“We do not want to hear any deaths as a result of road traffic accidents because one death is too much for us. We are losing the active age group, those who fall between 16 to about 60 years through road traffic accidents and it is so bad for us. So for me, I don’t want to hear any deaths during this Easter season. It can be done if we heed to what we are saying and if we abide by the laws and regulation on the road.”
On her part, the Western Regional Acting Head of the National Road Safety Commission, Nana Akua Ansah said the deplorable roads and bad attitudes of drivers are to blame for accidents.
Meanwhile, the Chief Inspector Anthony Antwi of the Western Regional Police MTTD told Citi News that all offences recorded during the exercise would be forgiven.
