Road accidents kill 62 people in Bono Region within 10 months – NRSA

Sixty-two (62) people died through 146 road crashes reported in the Bono Region from January to October 2024, Madam Abigail Atinpoka, the Bono Regional Head of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) said on Monday.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, she said the crashes caused degrees of injuries to 144 people, and called on commercial drivers to be cautious on the road as the dry season sets in.

Comparatively, Mad Atinpoka said the crashes had seen 100 percent increase in the crashes, indicating that in 2023, 31 people died through 111 recorded crashed which left 107 people injured.

Mad Atinpoka indicated that investigations revealed that most of the crashes occurred due to human error, noting that driver negligence remained the major factor contributing to road crashes and needless deaths in the region.

In that regard, she said the Authority in the region had intensified post-election road safety education campaigns, including driver and passenger sensitization on speed and fatigue management at major bus terminals and lorry stations in the region.

Mad Atinpoka said the Authority was collaborating with the Police Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) and Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) and other road sector agencies in the campaign.

Additionally, she said the authority with support from the MTTD would soon begin road enforcement outreach on the Berekum-Sunyani highway, one of the accident prone-highways in the region to help stem crashes before, during and after the Christmas festivities.

Mad Atinpoka predicted the severity of the harmattan, saying that the various highways would not be favourable for driving and urged drivers to remain cautious and endeavour to check their lighting systems before journeying.

Source: GNA