A total of 510 people have been killed through road accidents between January and March, 2017, a situation which has been described as worrying to socioeconomic development.
Disclosing this at the national launch of the Easter Road Safety Campaign at Kpong in the Eastern Region, DCOP Maxwell Atingane, the Director-General of the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD), said the total number of accident cases recorded was 2,890, involving 4,822 vehicles with 2,971 persons getting injured within the same period under review.
DCOP Atingane advised drivers and road users to exercise extra caution in order to save lives.
On her part, Transport Minister Kweku Ofori Asiamah observed that road safety was a public health issue that required urgent scientific intervention.
Announcing that the government would enact a new law to strengthen the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) to become more responsive to emerging road safety challenges, he called for intensification of collective efforts from stakeholders to defeat road safety violations.
On her part, Executive Director of the NRSC, Mrs May Obiri, appealed for continuous commitment from the government to enhance road safety education in the country.
She pledged that the Commission would not renege on its mandate to intensify road safety awareness.
This year’s road safety campaign is on the theme, “Safety First: Think Safety, Drive Safely”.
The national campaign launch was graced by the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, as well as Volta and Eastern Regional Ministers Dr Archibald Letsa and Eric Kwakye Darfour.
Popular movie actor Agya Koo and some other personalities in the movie industry acted a play to educate the audience on the need for all to maintain safety on the road.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com/100.5FM
