Road Accidents

THE RATE OF ROAD ACCIDENTS IN GHANA

Roads and public places are constantly used by a cross section of people including motorists’ motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, passengers, pedestrians, physically challenged and cart pushers.

In the course of the usage of the road crises situations arise an account of the road system namely intersections, the conduct and behavior of road users. Road accident in our country Ghana has be a very major challenge in the country.

Road crashes occur as results of many vary factors. Preventing and reduction of road crash and its consequences are achievable through multi-disciplinary and multi-faced approaches.

A road accident at Achimota, Accra

Causes

CAUSES

It is believed that majority of road crashes are caused by human error. Research has shown that driver’s error accounts for over 80% of all fatal and injury crashes in the Irish roads.

Many people die as a consequence of inexperience speeding intoxication through drink or drugs or just plain reckless and tiredness.

Policemen on the search

Overtaking in the night and series of vehicles at a time is also contributing factors in the road accident, and the basic principle in preventing of road crash is see and be seen. A responsible driver should not overtake when he or she cannot see what is ahead.

An accident scene at Nungua

The absence of a functioning traffic light in most of the regions in Ghana continues to pose grave danger to lives of both motorists and pedestrians. It is also believed that offloading and picking more passengers of unapproved loaches, driving without license and insurance, abuse of the trade license plates and obscuring the use of the number plates are factors to road accidents.

Lack of wearing seat belts on every journey, drivers should cultivate the habit of wearing seat belts, including the passengers.

Careless drive at achimota road

Solutions

SOLUTIONS

A survival of achimota road accident

The National Road Safety Commission should conduct investigations into road safety issues and advice the minister on them. They should also develop and maintain a comprehensive database on road safety for information of public. As part of efforts to reduce the accidents in the country, Metro Mass Transport Union (MMTU) should intensify their education drive by organizing workshops for stakeholders on the road.

The police personnel of MMTU should go back to their duty posts on the roads to ensure sanity on them. The police personnel of the unit should resist corruption and be discharge of their duties and arrest people who attempt to bribe them. Heads of implementing agencies of the national safety commission should demonstrate a high sense of commitment and responsible towards road safety issues.

Vehicles engineering comprising a regular inspection for a “Warrant of Fitness” to ensure that the nation components of vehicles are safe.

Improving the design of the design of the vehicle to give ease of vision and control to the driver and so reduce the livelihood of injury in an accident.

Fitting safety equipment such as seat belts should be taken into consideration and enforced.

Suggestions

SUGGESTIONS

Robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism to ensure timely implementation of the action plans by all agencies involved. The stake holders should ensure that traffic lights on our roads are properly functioning since that sometimes poses as a danger to road accidents.

Stakeholders should encourage the development of road safety education as part of the curriculum and the training of teachers in road safety. They should also undertake nationwide road safety education to inform the people on the rules and regulations on our roads.