Drivers to undergo refresher course – National Drivers’ Academy
Mr Etse Ladzekpo, Executive Director of the National Drivers’ Academy (NDA) on Friday reiterated the need for private and commercial drivers to undergo annual refresher courses in the art and science of driving.
Mr Ladzekpo said a partnership agreement was signed in Accra, between Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited and other stakeholders in the transport industry with Alpha to Omega Motoring, a UK-based school of motoring.
The agreement, which was supported by the Ministry of Transport, made it mandatory for commercial drivers to undergo a yearly refresher course that covered all aspects of road safety.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, Mr Ladzekpo explained that the new trend of driving focused on the psychology of the driver, how he or she can use critical thinking to drive and overcome stress.
Mr Ladzekpo listed some of the factors that contributed to road traffic crashes such as lack of car maintenance, poor attitudes of drivers on the road, road designs, driving under the influence of alcohol and receiving of calls while driving.
He said research had revealed that 90 per cent of road crashes were the result of human factors such as bad attitudes and risk perception.
He said the country lost 1,800 lives annually through road crashes, explaining that one of the key strategies to reverse the situation is to improve the skills, knowledge and behaviour of drivers.
He urged the authorities to enforce rules governing the issuance of drivers’ license, alleging that most commercial drivers went through short cut procedures to get the document.
Mr Ladzekpo stressed that there was no structured system for driver training and development in Ghana and about 82 per cent of commercial drivers did not attend any driving school.
He said the partnership agreement to ensure road safety would foster the emergence of ‘born-again’ road users, with a sense of individual social responsibility to avert any unforeseen accidents.
The National Road Safety Commission in 2003 undertook a driver training need study, which revealed that only 16 per cent of commercial vehicle drivers undertook formal driver training with 215 having some form of upgrading since acquiring driving licenses.
The NDA was inaugurated in 2010 to offer practical training for drivers who have been prosecuted for traffic offenses and those who want to upgrade their driving prior to acquiring new driver’s license.
Source: GNA