The greatest asset of every nation is its people but can that be said of Ghana? The nation seem to trade the lives of the people for anything. It appears that much is not done to sustain the very life we pray for but play it to the gallery. There are disasters that are natural in nature but others are man-made and very much preventable. Most road crashes or accident are said to be human error in nature. According to a report by the World Health Organisation, accidents claim 1.25 million lives worldwide annually.
The report highlights that road users around the world are unequally protected however, the risk of dying in a road traffic crash still depends, in great part, on where people live and how they move around. Ghana record a road crash everyday which result either in deaths or injuries of those involved. According to the National Road Safety Commission, in 2014 alone, 2,571 people were knocked down by vehicles that caused 13,133 road accidents in which 11, 328 were injured and 1856 died. The accidents involved 20,442 vehicles.
The number of pedestrians knocked down means an average of seven people were knocked down daily on the country’s roads last year, with approximately five deaths daily. It also means that on the average about 36 accidents occur on the country’s roads every day and almost two accidents every hour. Similarly, 31 people were injured every day, in the road accidents that involved 56 vehicles daily. In 2013, there were 2,642 pedestrian knock downs from 14,390 road accidents in which 2,058 people died and injured 12,655 others.
The statistics indicate that in the year of 2015 a total of 10,852 crashes were recorded involving 16,958 leading to 1,634 deaths and 9,186 injuries. Compared to the situation in the same period in the year 2014, there were reductions in cases reported and vehicles involved in road traffic crashes by 17.3% and 17.02% respectively. Again, there were reductions in the number of deaths and injuries by 12% and 19% in 2015 over that of the figures recorded in 2014. Most of these accidents on the roads are caused by our own negligence and indiscipline. The first major cause of road accidents in Ghana is poor driving skills. Drivers talking on mobile phones while driving have caused several road accidents. Gross indiscipline is the cause in most cases amongst Ghanaians. Most accidents are caused by broken down vehicles on our roads. It appears in Ghana there is a leeway for drivers to drive on worn or second hand tyres.
The unworthiness of some cars on our roads also invariably leads to road accidents. Over-loading of vehicles beyond their expected gross weights is a known cause of accidents. Fatigue driving is a known cause of road accidents by long-distance drivers. 10% of road accidents in Ghana are caused by drunk driving. Speeding constitutes about 50% of road accidents in the country. The poor nature of some of our roads has also often been cited as a cause for some vehicular accidents in the country. Disregard for traffic regulations by most drivers also leads to accidents on our roads. Non-existent road markings and signs. Nevertheless refusing on the right thing can never be overlooked.
It has become a phenomenon in the country, when someone is considered too knowing and disrespectful when he or she speaks up but glorify timidity, shut-up and die attitude. The penchant for some passengers to lash out at others who speak against careless driving must stop. The recent tragic accident at Kintampo on the Kumasi-Tamale road which claimed over 60 lives was due to people refusing to insist on the right thing being done. Let us ease the agonizing pain and trauma we are consistently putting the nation through and develop an understanding that a number of bad practices and a lack of innovative thinking have resulted in these crashes on our roads. This should be a lesson learnt in the hard way but I will not be surprised if this is going to be one of the accidents we cry so much about and immediately forget about in some few months. It is heart breaking and aching to see what we are doing to ourselves as a nation. The families and friends we lose every day.
The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) established by law as per the National Road Safety Commission Act 1999 (Act 567), and supposed to provide strategic leadership for developing and implementing interventions and counter measures towards a sustainable management of road safety in Ghana are doing well but until no death is recorded we will still urge you to do more. Be proactive and creative in the discharge of your duties. Do not wait for accidents before you educate road users on what to do on the road.
The Motor Traffic and Transport Unit [MTTU] of Ghana Police Service is mandated to prevent and detect motor crimes and offences, prevent loss of lives and damage to property on our roads, to ensure free flow of motor traffic. They have failed because human beings are dying on our roads. Until some of your personnel stop taking 1 Ghana cedis from drivers and do not ask me for evidence because it is there for all to see. Enforce the laws and let’s stop this spilling of needless blood on our roads. Road accidents should be lesson for us not lectures.