National Road Safety Authority launch 2019 Road Safety Christmas Campaign
In a bid to raise the level of awareness for the holiday season, the National Road Safety Authority acting under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and in collaboration with Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, (DVLA), the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate, (MTTD), Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council, (GRTCC), Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and all stakeholders, has launched the 2019 Road Safety Christmas Campaign.
It is themed: “Stop Road Accidents Now, Before it Stops You.
The yuletide season is usually considered as the topmost risk season for road safety due to increases in motorization and travels before and during the period as well as the excitement and merry making which are often characterized by total disrespect for road traffic rules and regulations.
The season is noted for high travel speeds, overtaking, fatigue driving, driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, wrongful road crossings among others.
The National Road Safety Authority says it expects that all road users practice safe road use in traffic; ”Drivers to be responsible, Pedestrians to cross the road at designated safe crossing points, Passengers to wear Seatbelts and Speak up against all forms of driver misbehavior that endangers their lives before, during and after the festive season, and Motorcyclist and Tricyclists to wear their helmets and avoid unsafe operational practices while transport organizations and institutions observe internal controls systems which make crashes unattractive”.
The Director-General of the Authority, Mrs. May Obiri-Yeboah says. ‘’While we acknowledge the collective contribution of stakeholders for the reductions, we are challenged to sustain it and reduce it further as we hit the busy end of the year. A crash-free yuletide is possible provided road users will renew their pledge to be more disciplined’’.
Provisional statistics from January to September this year (2019) indicate a 6.07% and 2.25% increase in the number of crashes and injuries respectively, the period has recorded a reduction of 7.6% in persons killed through road traffic crashes over the same period of 2018 and a further reduction in pedestrian knock downs by 17.4% during the same period.
