"Time to stop numerous accidents" -Benyiwa-Doe

Cape Coast, Sept. 9, GNA - The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, on Thursday stressed that, it is time to stop the numerous killings on the country's roads by reckless drivers, because several innocent lives have been lost on the Cape Coast-Accra Highway.

Mrs. Benyiwa-Doe said it was sad that most motorists and other road users continue to flout the Road Traffic Act with impunity and described as "unacceptable" the rate at which lives were being lost through motor accidents in Ghana.

The Minister made the call in a speech read for her on Thursday at a day's Seminar on the 93Enforcement of Road Traffic Laws and Regulations", organized by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC)in Cape Coast.

It was to educate the traffic enforcement agencies on the magnitude of road safety problems in the country.

The seminar was also to enable the Judicial Service to share and learn best practices in managing traffic related offences and to update the knowledge of traffic enforcement agencies on provisions in the current traffic regulation.

She said the social and financial cost of these accidents were enormous and therefore a tremendous task confronts the nation, which required an appropriate and more pragmatic measures to forestall motor accidents.

She noted that road safety hinges on education and therefore, it was imperative that all key stakeholders play their roles effectively to ensure the implementation of the process.

The Minister commended the NRSC and its key stakeholders for the good work, and that, the governments was resolved to facilitate the promotion of road safety in the country.

Mrs Benyiwa-Doe said the seminar will serve as a platform for the law enforcement agencies, especially the Judiciary, to appreciate the scale and magnitude of the road safety problems and seriousness of many offences committed.

The Deputy Attorney-General and Minster of Justice, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro emphasized the need for the society to 93awaken from its slumber" and stop being apathetic towards the laws of the land.

Mr Barton-Odro said the enforcement of Road Traffic Act, 2004 Act 683 and the legislative Instrument, Road Traffic Regulations L.I 983, should be a collective responsibility of all stakeholders.

He pointed out that deaths and injuries caused by road accidents contribute significantly to the socio-economic stagnation of the country, adding that, families loose their loved ones, who may be bread winners, leaving them impoverished and traumatized.

Mr Barton-Odro, who was also the chairman for the occasion, noted that, statistics indicated that most accident victims in Ghana fall within the productive age bracket of the economy and it was robbing the nation's needed human resources.

He observed that, despite the alarming statistics, commitment to enforce the existing road traffic accident legislations was not encouraging and stressed the need for strategies to be evolved to check speeding, drunk driving and the non use of seat belts, among others.

Mr Barton-Odro said the strategy should be targeted at controlling road user behaviour by preventive, persuasive and punitive measures, in order to effect the safe and efficient movement of traffic.

He charged the law enforcement agencies to demonstrate sufficient commitment.

Justice Francesca Owusu Arhin, the Supervising High Court Judge, appealed to chiefs, the civil society, government agencies, parliamentarians and the executives of various drivers' unions to actively get involved in road safety activities to save life and property.

She noted that road traffic accidents account for about 1,800 deaths yearly and several degrees of injuries with an economic value of 1.6% of the National Gross Domestic Product.

Mrs Arhin said one of the key weaknesses in the road safety efforts, which have had direct impact on road accidents reduction, was the issue of enforcement of traffic laws.

She asked participants to frankly discuss innovative means of making the existing laws more meaningful in combating 93the scary realities on the roads".