2,000 persons die from road accidents within a year – Road Safety Commission

Mr Noble John Appiah, Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), says despite efforts to control accidents involving vehicles, about 2000 people had died on our roads between May 2011 and May 2012.

“In Ghana, we have several bodies to ensure road safety. What we appear to lack, is more commitment,” he said.

Mr Appiah said this in Accra, during a vigil, held by the NRSC, to commemorate the first anniversary of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action for Road Safety.

He said it was unfortunate that whilst everyone was a potential victim of a road accident, most people did not seem to get involved much with ensuring safety on our roads.

Mr Appiah said road safety was not a nine-day wonder, adding that it was very important for all stakeholders to make it a point to continually ensure discipline on our roads.

“The media, police, drivers, passengers and all other concerned people have a strong role to play in ensuring safety on our roads,” he said.

Mr Rudolph Beckley, Greater Accra Regional Manager of the NRSC, said people had to be conscious of the fact that they owed it a responsibility to themselves, to protect their lives.

He said drivers, passengers and all other road users needed to know that sometimes their own initiatives and actions could save them from avoidable death and injury.

The UN General Assembly, has declared the period, 2011 to 2020, as the decade of Action for Road Safety, with a view to reduce road traffic fatalities around the world.

Ghana is part of the declaration, which was made on May, 11, 2011.

According to NRSC statistics, 11,400 road crashes occur annually resulting in 1,400 injuries and 1,800 deaths.

Source: GNA