NRSC reports 25 deaths from motorbike accidents in Cape Coast
Twenty-five persons were killed through a total of two hundred and thirty-eight (238) motorbike related crashes in the second quarter of 2019 in the Central Region.
Ms Linda Affotey-Annang, Acting Central Regional Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), has said, adding that 104 injuries were also recorded from the accidents.
She said the number of accidents recorded is more than double of the 106 which was recorded during the same period last year (2018) and one more than what was recorded in the whole of last year.
The Acting Regional Director expressed worry about the increasing statistics of accidents involving motorbikes and called for concerted efforts to bring the situation under control.
She attributed the increase in accidents to the lack of respect for road traffic regulations, lack of defensive driving as well as careless, inexperienced and impatient driving especially by the introduction of the ‘aboboya’ and ‘pragia’.
Ms Affotey-Annang was speaking at a community road safety education campaign organised by the Commission to educate motor riders in the Cape Coast Metropolis on road safety on Thursday.
The event, formed part of the series of activities earmarked to ensure that this year’s Oguaa Fetu-Afahye festival was accident-free.
Ms Affotey-Annang said while waiting for the outcome of a national consultation on whether or not motorcycles, ‘aboboya’ and ‘pragia’ could be used for commercial purposes, there is the need to educate riders to promote safety.
The Commission would continue to embark on massive educational campaigns through video shows and one-on-one interactions at vantage points on the benefits of observing good road safety practices.
Educational fliers with messages ranging from pedestrian and driver safety, observing road traffic rules as well as signs and markings were distributed during the event.
Ms Affotey-Annang urged the riders to wear helmets at all times and cautioned against the practice of picking more passengers as required during their operations.
Source: GNA