Road fatalities reduce in Central region

Central region has seen a sharp decline in road crash fatalities largely through stepped-up safety education campaign combined with strict enforcement of the law.

The region recorded 43 deaths during the third quarter of the year - down from last year’s same period total of 46, representing a 6.5 per cent reduction.

Linda Affotey-Annang, Acting Regional Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), who made the figures available in Cape Coast, however, said that the total reported cases increased to 253 from 222.

According to the figures, the vehicles involved rose from 336 to 588 with the number of injured person's also rising to 529 from 406.

The Commission, she noted was now focusing on the need to engage the attention of passengers and pedestrians on road traffic regulations, to empower them to speak up and be in control of their journeys.

It had mounted road safety education programmes at public places such as markets, schools and churches to create the needed awareness to help protect travellers and pedestrians. 

She attributed the accidents to a myriad of factors including; driver fatigue, speeding, use of mobile phones while driving, lack of maintenance and laxity in the enforcement of road traffic regulations.

The Commission together with the police and other stakeholders would continue to work with renewed energy and zeal to make the roads safe for everybody.   

In that regard, her outfit together with other stakeholders deployed visibility personnel at strategic areas in the region to ensure road safety, control crime, and maintain law and order. 

They will assist all road users - motorists, travellers and pedestrians to follow road traffic laws.

She reminded drivers to put a premium on safety and avoid anything that could lead to the loss of lives and injuries.

Ms Affotey-Annang appealed to the media to intensify public education on wearing of seat belts to ensure safety, adding that with the onset of the rainy season, drivers must slow down and critically observe traffic regulations to minimise road crashes.