Driver negligence contributes 80% of road crashes – MTTD Commander  

Driver errors and negligence contributed to about 80 per cent of crashes and fatalities on the highways, Bono Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Superintendent Stephen Tenkorang, has said.

“If we are able to control driver errors, then we will also prevent 80 per cent of accidents that happen on the road,” Superintendent Tenkorang told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Sunyani.

Supt Tenkorang noted that with the onset of the Christmas festivities, the country’s roads and highways would be busier.

He, therefore, reminded drivers to be cautious and obey road traffic regulations and signs to prevent avoidable crashes and needless deaths.

Speaking on the measures put in place to reduce crashes in the festive season, he said the Command had identified and intensified patrols on accident-prone areas in the region to check careless driving.

Supt Tenkorang mentioned Sunyani-Techiman and Sunyani-Berekum stretches as some of the accident-prone highways.

He said the command had provided radial guns to the patrol teams to check and control over-speeding on those roads.

The police have also undertaken vigorous campaigns to sensitize drivers on road safety at major lorry stations and bus terminals in the region.

He reminded drivers that drink-driving remained a serious road safety offence, saying culprits would be arrested and prosecuted.

Police Supt Tenkorang said controlling road accidents remained collective and shared responsibility and advised passengers to contribute their part by ensuring that drivers desist from the use of mobile phones while driving and over-speeding.

Christmas, the Regional Commander said, was not a period for drivers to cash in and advised them to be responsible for protecting lives.

Source: GNA