Reminds stakeholders in road safety of their responsibility at ensuring an accident free year

Just twenty days into the new year and the country has already recorded some road accidents that have claimed lives.

In the beginning of every new year, stakeholders in road safety outline measures aimed at curbing t road crashes. Ahead of Christmas, many are afraid to travel because of the usual rise in accidents on our roads. The situation is so endemic and predictable that it is considered by many as part and parcel of the yuletide. The irony however is that the countries originated. do not experience such a high number of road accidents. These accidents are preventable if all the stakeholders play their roles effectively. We are told by the experts that the majority of accidents on our roads are due to human error such as drunkenness and driver fatigue. It is said that once a problem is identified; it is halved.

In our case however, the problem persists even though the problem has been identified. Is it that we are not walking the talk or we are not doing enough to fight this canker? Anytime we hear of road accidents, we readily push the blame to organizations like the DVLA, the National Highway Authority, MTTD, Road Safety Commission and others, forgetting that road safety is a shared responsibility. Institutions like drivers’ unions can help nib most accidents in the bud. It is high time these unions realized that what comes to them in the form of commission or `booking fees` should be used for the safety and welfare of drivers and passengers alike. In this regard the various unions should use part of their money to acquire alcohol-testing equipment and make sure that every driver is tested in front of the passengers before they depart to their various destinations. They should also make sure that long-distance vehicles are manned by two professional drivers. These and other measures when properly applied can help address the problem.

Officials of the MTTD must also ensure that they execute their duties on the road without fear or favor. The law must apply to everybody equally. The police must also desist from collecting bribes from drivers who disobey the laws on road safety. For their part, passengers must act as periodic citizens and correct drivers when they flout the laws. More often, attempts to caution the drivers leads to a brawl between the driver and passengers. That notwithstanding, the onus lies on the passenger to ensure that they arrive home safely. But that can only be achieved if they assist the driver to drive safely.

While asking road safety stakeholders to up their game, the government also has a major role to play. The nature of our roads in Ghana is another major factor that contributes to the high accident rates in the country. Drivers sometimes try to swerve potholes only to end up crashing. Having first-grade roads especially in congested urban areas is a must if we want to reduce the level of carnage on our roads.

The Ghana Highway Authority, a department under the Roads and Highway Ministry must be proactive. More often, they act when the carnage has already occurred. Government must resource the authority in order for them to do the job for which it was established. Studies show that road traffic accidents adversely affect economic growth and a greater cost to the nation.

A life lost is one too many. It must be acknowledged that stakeholders are doing their best to ensure that lives on the road are protected at all cost.

However, much has to be done in terms of awareness campaigns in all local languages on radio and television.

A campaign like Don’t drink and drive, or if you drive, don’t drink is an important message that needs to be reechoed.

Also periodic orientation for driver unions and station masters must be prioritized so that the message can trickle down to every road user to stop the many lives being lost on our roads.

It is expected that the high numbers of road accidents recorded last year will not be repeated in 2022.