Micael Boateng
30 October 2008
Sunyani — Mr. Daniel H. Wuaku, Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of the National Road Safety Commission has called on political parties and their supporters to respect traffic regulations during their electioneering campaign.
Speaking at a press conference held in Sunyani to outline some of the activities instituted for its Road Safety Week Celebration, under the theme, "Ensuring an Accident-Free Election 2008," Mr. Wuaku said elections should not be a 'do and die affair', whereby all road safety regulations are disregarded, especially during campaign rallies and mass processions.
He advised political parties to plan their travels, give their drivers enough rest times and control their convoys, indicating that election years have provided graet challenges to road safety.
According to him, available statistics indicate that road accident rates increase during election years due to increased political activities. He emphasized that the Road Safety Week celebration is to engage political parties and policy makers on how to promote road safety for all.
He enumerated some of the causes of the accidents such as overloading of vehicles, human traffic not giving way to vehicular traffic, reckless driving by drivers and motor cyclists, speeding, non use of seatbelts/crash helmets, fatigue driving, and disrespect for other road users by jubilant supporters of political parties.
ASP Wesley Paul Baah of the Regional MTTU of the Police Service disclosed that the provisional figures for road traffic and casualties recorded in the region indicated that a total of 215 vehicles were involved in the 156 reported road accidents in the third quarter of the year 2008, which claimed 42 lives and injured 249 persons.
According to ASP Baah, the month of August registered the highest number of fatalities with 22 persons killed in 61 accident cases reported for the month. He continued that between January and September 2008, a total of 412 cases were reported, involving 530 vehicles that claimed 149 lives and injured 613 persons, which translates into an average of 46 accidents reported per month, involving 59 vehicles.
ASP Baah further indicated that 17 persons died with 68 persons injured each month, since the beginning of the year, which according to him was disturbing, despite the fact that the fatality pattern in the region showing a general downward trend from a high of 42 in March to as low as 3 persons killed in September.
He said although the year is seeing an improvement in the fatality situation, comparing the 2008 performance against that of 2007, the road accidents and casualty' situation in the region had worsened with 53.6% increment in fatalities, and as significant as 103% increase in the number of persons injured.
According to the Regional MTTU Boss, the region has witnessed marginal improvements in the number of cases reported, and persons killed in the third quarter as against the figures of the second quarter, but as compared to the same period of 2007, the situation has worsened.
He noted that a greater proportion of casualties and fatalities in the region were the result of unnecessary overtaking and inappropriate speeding, stressing that the MTTU and the Road Safety Commission effort in educating people and enforcing road regulations.
He bemoaned the attitude of motorists and drivers who fail to wear crash helmets and seat belts, saying it contributed to the increasing rate of fatalities.
ASP Baah disclosed that in the new Road Safety Act, persons above 18years who fail to wear seat belts would be charged for road offences
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