The Upper East Region recorded zero fatalities during Christmas last year as against 33 fatalities country wide, involving 98 crashes. This was made known when officials of the National Road Safety Authority paid a working visit to the Upper East Region as part of sensitisation of road users on road safety.
National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), in collaboration with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) met with the transport operators at the main lorry park in Bolgatanga.
They met with operators of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), O.A Travel and Tours to sensitise them on the need to be vigilant on the road in order to help minimise crashes on the road especially during this festivity season.
Safety on the road is a shared responsibility and behooves on every Ghanaian to play his or her roles well to ensure the roads are safe and there is a reduction in crashes.
In his address, Superintended Alexander Kweku Obeng, the National Director in charge of Education, Research and Training at the MTTD stated that over the years Ghana has recorded worrying trends when it came to road crashes particularly Christmas periods and the yuletides.
Superintended Obeng further explained that, statistics in the country from January to November this year indicated that Ghana has recorded over 12,000 road crashes with about 20,000 vehicles involved.
In the process, about 2,083 persons lost their lives while about 12,000 people sustained various degrees of injuries.
He indicated that between December 24 to 26, 2018, the country recorded 98 crashes on the road with about 33 people dying in the process and said some of the crashes were preventable.
Supt Obeng revealed that road safety authorities were poised to reducing the number of road crashes recorded each year especially during this period and said it was against this background the NRSA launched a road safety awareness campaign and it is being supported by the Ghana Police Service with its initiative Operation Father Christmas.
Supt Obeng revealed that the Ghana Police Service would be deploying about 15,000 personnel across the communities to ensure that people abide road safety and traffic regulations during the Christmas period to protect lives on the road.
Daniel Wuaku, Deputy Director, Planning and Programmes at NRSA, stated that responsibility was the surest way to ensuring that the phenomenon of road crashes was reduced.
He called on all stakeholders including the law enforcement agencies, transport operators, drivers and passengers among others to play critical roles in a responsible manner and being disciplined, road crashes would be reduced.
Mr. Wuaku cautioned drivers to avoid driving while on alcohol and urged the passengers to report any actions of any person that bring about accident to the appropriate authorities to ensure that people abide the rules of road safety.
Supt Obeng revealed that the Ghana Police Service would be deploying about 15,000 personnel across the communities to ensure that people abide road safety and traffic regulations during the Christmas period to protect lives on the road.
Story filed by Emmanuel Akayeti.
