Sixty-five killed through road accidents in Upper East last year – NRSC
Sixty-five persons died in the Upper East Region in 2018 according to statistics from the Regional branch of National Road Safety Commission (NRSC).
The figures included 10 females and 55 males. And out of a total of 198 accident cases recorded, 221 persons were injured.
During the year, 329 vehicles were involved in the road crashes; 132 motorbikes, 34 tricycles, 41 SUVs (4×4) vehicles, 37 saloon cars, 17 commercial mini buses while the rest were other commercial vehicles.
Mr Dennis Yeribu, the Planning Officer at the NRSC, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga that road crashes increased in the Region last year as compared to 2017, which recorded 181 cases resulting in 51 deaths and 171 injuries.
He said pedestrian knock downs were a factor that increased the death rates, which recorded nine deaths from 28 knock downs last year.
Mr Yeribu expressed concern about the trend of persons involved in road crashes annually and said: “Out of the 10 females who died, five were above the age of 18 while five were under 18 years. Two of the 55 males were under 18, while the others were above 18 years, and this clearly tells us that we are losing more breadwinners and energetic human resource base in the Region.”
He attributed the crashes to over speeding, overloading, alcoholism, and the use of faulty and non-roadworthy vehicles and the disregard for road traffic regulations and signs.
This, if not checked with the appropriate solutions to curb the menace, could result in more young widows, rural urban migration, increased school dropouts, and rise in the demand for human resource to help propel the economy, he said.
Mr Yeribu said such outcomes could affect productivity in the Region, which would invariably affect development and thereby increase the level of poverty.
He, therefore, called on members of the public to prioritise their safety, especially when using the road and admonished the media to assist the Commission in public education, especially in the local dialect.
He said the Commission would continue to collaborate with the relevant agencies including the Municipal and District Assemblies, Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service, and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority to sensitise the public to increase their alertness on the use of the road.
Source: GNA