Private vehicles involved in road crashes surges – MTTD
The Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service has started that the number of private vehicles involved in road crashes in the Tema Region is on the rise.
Accident data for the first half of the year indicates that out of a total of 637 road crashes 445 were private vehicles. In the first quarter out of 344 road crashes private vehicles recorded 248 and in the second quarter out of 293 crashes private vehicles recorded 197.
Sergeant Richard Timinka representing Chief Superintendent William Asante, Tema Regional MTTD Commander, stated at the Ghana News Agency, Tema Regional Office and MTTD road safety campaign platform.
The GNA-Tema and MTTD Road Safety Project seeks to actively create consistent and systematic weekly awareness advocacy on the need to be cautious on the road as a user, educate all road users of their respective responsibilities, and sensitize drivers especially of the tenets of road safety regulations, rules and laws.
Sgt. Timinka attributed the high rise in private vehicles involvement in road crashes to the fact that most of the private vehicles owners did not go in for regular check-up and maintenance of their vehicles.
“Looking at the data, it is possible that when a car knocks you down in the Tema Region enclave, the possibility of dying is about 70,” Sgt. Timinka added.
He also assigned the increment of road crashes to people not adhering to speed limits, not crossing the roads at appropriate places, the use of communication devices among others while using the roads.
He said the surge in the number of road crashes in the Tema enclave was worrying and urged drivers to be disciplined while using the roads to bring sanity on the roads.
He added that decisive approach was needed to tackle road crashes and appealed for support from stakeholders to prevent needless deaths on the roads.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, the Tema Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency, urged Ghanaians to take personal responsibility while using the roads.
“When we are on the roads, the first line of safety is you, you must put our personal safety into our hands, don’t expect the driver to take charge of your life,” He added.
He said life was more important than wherever one was going at any given time as such, it was better to carefully adhere to the road regulations than being in hurry to cross the road to be involved in accidents.
Mr Ameyibor called on journalist to help and support the Security Services especially the MTTD to raise awareness on road safety in the country.
Source: GNA