CUTS International, a leading public policy and road safety advocacy organization is urging the leadership of various political parties to be road safety advocates during their campaigns and rallies to raise public awareness and education.
Shadrack Nii Yarboi Yartey said with the increased vehicular movement, rallies, and processions, the risk of road crashes escalates significantly.
It is imperative that political parties not only recognize these risks but actively urge their supporters to comply with road traffic laws and regulations. "The statistics speak volumes to the increase in road crashes, injuries, and deaths during election periods.
Hence, political parties must utilize campaign platforms to disseminate and preach road safety messages.
They must consistently remind their supporters of the relevance of risk factors and adhering strictly to road traffic regulations while highlighting the dire consequences of reckless driving, excessive speeding, wrong over-taking, drink-driving during rallies and other campaign activities," Mr Yartey added.
Data from the NRSA revealed that election periods record a high number of deaths from road crashes in the country as a result of the disregard for road traffic regulations and other best practices.
For instance, in 2016, about 44 people died in 100 crashes involving 157 vehicles during the election period in December, representing a 15.6 percent increase over the same period in 2015. "The statistics further showed that since 2000, all but one election year recorded higher crashes, injuries, and deaths as compared to previous and ensuing years," he said.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the NRSA, David Osafo-Adonteng, urged the political parties to be mindful of the safety of their actors and supporters as they went about their campaigns ahead of the elections.
He stressed that even as they move across the country to canvass for votes, they must ensure that they do not compromise their safety on the roads. "Political parties should utilize campaign platforms to create awareness of road safety issues and also ensure that their convoys adhered to road safety regulations to prevent crashes, he said.
Mr.
Adonteng emphasized that political parties need to mainstream the road safety code into the manifestos and ensure that there are practical policies on how to address road crashes.
He underscored the need for the strengthening of collaboration among stakeholders to reduce carnage on the road.
The Deputy Communication Officer of the NDC, Malik Basintale, said the launch of the road safety code for political parties was a good initiative that would help to reduce campaign-related crashes.
He said the NDC had already incorporated some road safety issues into its 2024 manifesto. "Any policy or guideline that seeks to protect the lives of Ghanaians will be supported by the NDC, and that is why we fully support and will ensure the implementation of the road safety code for political parties," he said.
The Deputy Director of Protocol of the NPP, Kwabena Frimpong, also described the road safety code as a timely move that would ensure that people did not lose their lives because of carelessness on the road during campaigns.
He commended the NRSA for the initiative and gave the assurance that the NPP would strictly adhere to the provisions of the code.
The "Road Safety Code of Practice for Political Activities" document, provides guidelines for monitoring the movement of convoys, night travels by political actors, transportation of party supporters, safety of pedestrians, and the use of motorcycles during campaigns.
Among other things, the code makes specific provisions for political parties to recruit qualified drivers, appoint road safety experts to their leadership, and ensure that all vehicles meant for political activities are insured.
The launch of the code brought together more than 10 political parties, including the (NPP), the (NDC), the (CPP), the Peoples National Convention (PNC) and the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP).
Others are the All Peoples Congress (APC), the National Democratic Party (NDP), the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) and the Movement for Change.
present were the New Force, the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), and the Peoples National Party (PNP).
Apart from the political parties, key stakeholders such as the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), the National Peace Council (NPC), chiefs as well as representatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), also participated in the meeting.