By Lilian Owusu-Mensah
The Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority, David Osafo Adonteng has urged road users and drivers to observe traffic rules and regulations, reduce speeding and avoid unnecessary overtaking as part of measures to reduce carnage on the road, especially during Easter.
Records of drunkenness and reckless driving has often resulted in a high rate of car crashes during the Easter season. Such accidents which are mainly concentrated in the Kwahu areas of the Eastern Region are synonymous to the Easter celebration, aside other areas such as the Accra-Kumasi and the Accra-Cape Coast roads.
Advising Ghanaians and how observation of traffic rules could reduce carnage and save lives on the road during the season on GTV Breakfast Show on Wednesday,6th April 2022 Ing Adonteng said the first major thing that can be done is for Ghanaians to exhibit a positive attitude on the roads.
“If you have the best roads and you don’t change your mindset,you don’t change your attitude, you will still experience road crashes… we must change our attitude “, he reiterated.
He further stated that the National Road Safety Authority is advocating the dualization of most of the major roads since he believes this could reduce the carnage on our roads as enough space is provided for drivers to swerve and avoid any imminent accident. Commendable amongst them he said is the dualization of the Apedwa -Nsawam stretch.
“Beyond attitudinal, governments are committed across the world to provide the needed infrastructure, we have been advocating that let’s have the duals. We should begin to connect our roads with dualized sections”, headded.
Ing Adonteng stated that another strategy to mitigate road carnage is for drivers to take rest after every four hours of driving and not to sleep behind the wheels.
He recommended that drivers take a minimum of 30minutes rest at the various rest stops and advocated 2 drivers for those who go on long distances.
“Sleeping behind the steering wheel, it is unacceptable”, he specified.
Ing Adonteng said the National Road Safety Authority is calling on the Private Sector to come on board with their financial and technical expertise and build state-of-the-art rest stops which will enable people to take a break before continuing with their journeys. Involving the Private sector is the best way to have enough rest stops on the roads in the country.
“The best practice across the world is a private sector-led. We are now moving to the area of getting the private sector along with us”.
Read Also: https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/general/469-deaths/2022/
