The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has urged road users to comply with all road regulations to enhance safety on the roads. The advice comes in the wake of the alarming spate of accidents in recent times, which the commission believes was preventable.
Police records indicate that barely 74 days into the year, 2,445 road accidents have been recorded nationwide, resulting in 426 deaths and 2,523 injuries.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra last Tuesday, the Head of Communications of the NRSC, Mr Kwame Atuahene, said all the accidents recorded during the period were as a result of negligence.
Causes
Mr Atuahene attributed the high prevalence of accidents on the roads to speeding beyond approved limits, wrong overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol, poor vehicle maintenance and unqualified drivers.
He said if all stakeholders, particularly, drivers and passengers would adhere to road traffic regulations, most of the accidents that occurred would have been avoided.
Mr Atuahene said as part of initiatives to improve safety on the roads, the commission was holding dialogues with stakeholders to support national efforts at reducing road accidents.
The discussions, he said, would consider the introduction of monitoring cameras on the roads and the introduction of spot fines to deter recalcitrant drivers.
Remedies
Mr Atuahene said the commission would also intensify its research and public sensitisation programmes with the hope of reducing the prevalence of road accidents in the country.
“No matter the road sensitisations we do or the level of knowledge the public acquire on road safety, if they do not apply the knowledge, no meaningful impact can be achieved,” he said.
He stressed that road safety was a collective responsibility and, therefore, all stakeholders, particularly the commission, passengers, pedestrians and the Ghana Police Service, as well as vehicle owners, needed to be proactive in their respective roles.
Challenges
Touching on challenges of the NRSC, Mr Atuahene mentioned funding, and appealed to corporate bodies to fund some of the commission’s activities.
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