Road crash fatalities go down in Eastern Region
Eastern Region recorded a decrease in road crash fatalities in 2013 as against 2012 Chief Superintendent of Police Samuel Tetteh, Eastern Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit, told the GNA on Thursday.
He said the Region recorded 258 deaths through road crashes between January and December 2013 as against 359 in 2012.
He said 1,532 cases of road crashes were reported with 2,679 people getting injured as against 1,706 cases recorded in 2012 with 2, 739 injuries.
Chief Superintendent Tetteh said during the year under review about 855 drivers were sent to court for road traffic offences in the region and paid GH¢329,898 as fines.
He mentioned some of the offences the drivers committed as overloading, wrongful overtaking, over speeding, jumping of red lights and driving without the requisite driving license and many more.
Chief Superintendent Tetteh said the region recorded 1,105 cases of traffic offences with 855 of the cases sent to court out of which 490 drivers were convicted.
He expressed worry that in spite of the punishment, drivers’ conduct on the roads had not changed and still posed danger to road users.
Chief Superintendent Tetteh said it was worrying to see drivers who had just been fined by the courts being apprehended for other serious road traffic offences and appealed to drivers to be mindful of the lives that perish in accidents and endeavor to abide by the rules.
He said his outfit was collaborating with other stakeholders such as the driving schools, Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Road Safety Commission to educate motorists to adhere to road safety regulations.
Chief Superintendent Tetteh called on all the major stakeholders in the transport sector to strive to eliminate the human errors that often led to accidents to ensure a reduction of preventable road crashes.
Source: GNA