Report by Nana POKU
The Director of Communications at the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Pearl Adusu Gyasi has stated that from 2000 to date, a whopping 45,000 Ghanaians painfully lost their precious lives through road accidents in Ghana.
Speaking at a workshop in Accra, Mr Gyasi likened the numbers to a filled to capacity Accra Sports Stadium crowd who have been crushed to death so miserably.
Giving further statistics, he indicated that Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern regions contribute 43%, 23%, 10% respectively to the deaths and injuries arising out of the crashes in that order.
He stated that in some cases the average Ghanaian driver drives 66.7% above the stipulated speed limit in Ghana. Of this, 88% of drivers in Greater Accra defy the laid down speed limit in the region. At the same time, 29% of drivers in Kumasi are also guilty of the same offense and this puts the lives of passengers and pedestrians at greater risk.
Mr. Gyasi further stated that 3,700 people die every day in the world; 50 million are injured every day, and 72 out of 100,000 people in Ghana are injured every day in the country while 8 people die on average daily through road accidents in Ghana.
It was also revealed that more males die in Ghana than females. That, most accidents happen on Mondays, Sundays and Saturdays these days in the country.
The director told the participants that if drivers speed less in the country they can save many lives. For instance, he asked drivers not to do more than 60 kilometers per hour so that even if there is an accident, the victims can survive with only injuries.
According to him, most accidents happen as a result of indiscipline on our roads. This borders on drunk driving, overspending, non-observance of road signs, poor eyesight, poorly trained drivers, recklessness, fatigue, overloading, poorly maintained cars, etc.
He advised Ghanaians to make less use of motorbikes which constitute a high incidence of crashes with higher fatalities in the country.
The Director admonished drivers and all road users to observe road signs and regulations to reduce accidents, injuries, and deaths. He intimated that very soon all commercial drivers will be made to undergo refresher courses every year to sharpen their reflexes and skills and given certificates as testimonials.
He proposed the issuance of drivers’ licenses to only well-trained and qualified drivers to reduce crashes.
