Drive With Care and Patience - NRSC Tells Drivers

The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has launched its annual Christmas Road Safety Campaign with a call on drivers to be watchful and patient on the roads in order not to lose lives during the festive season.

This year's campaign is on the theme: "Even one death is too many to bear, Let's change our behaviour on the road for an Accident-Free Christmas and New Year" - 'Stop Road Accidents.'

Welcoming the guests to the launch, Mrs May Obiri Yeboah, Executive Director, NRSC said this year's campaign formed part of efforts to intensify the education and sensitization of road users on good road safety practices.

Mrs Obiri noted that festive occasions had been characterized with irresponsible road-user behaviour such as drinking, speeding, poor maintenance of vehicles, non-use of seat belts, impatience on the part of passengers and loitering of children on roads, among others.

She said the NRSC and its stakeholders were, therefore, determined to reduce road traffic crashes and their attendant casualties to zero.

The Minister of Transport, Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, who officially launched the National Christmas and New Year Road Safety Campaign in Accra, Tuesday, noted that road accidents were just not about numbers, but about how the numbers had impacted on the country's socio-economic expectations.

Road safety, Mr Asiamah said, was also a public health issue because road accidents claimed more lives than other diseases like Malaria and HIV/AIDS in the country; hence drivers should be given more education on road safety rules.

He urged drivers to avoid all forms of reckless overtaking and fatigue driving, while calling on pedestrians to adopt safety measures by accessing pedestrians crossing points and footbridges when crossing the roads.

In an address delivered on his behalf, the Inspector General of Police, Mr David Asante-Apeatu, gave the assurance that the police would ensure that pragmatic measures were put in place to avoid road accidents during this Christmas season.

Mr Asante-Apeatu indicated that it was the ultimate objective of the Ghana Police Service to ensure that this Yuletide was celebrated devoid of traffic congestion and crashes by deploying visible traffic officers to manage and control traffic at various traffic intersections while traffic regulations enforcement teams would be deployed on accident prone roads and highways.

In his remarks, the Chairman for the occasion, Mr Kwame Kuma, said the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) appreciated efforts from government to give public education to drivers and urged drivers to change their attitude and abide by road safety rules.

Mr Kuma tasked drivers to always examine the roadworthiness of their vehicles before they put them on the road to avoid accidents.

Source: ISD (Aliyah Bayali & Esther Atubigah)

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