Ghana records 2000 fatal accidents in a year

Mr. Rudolph Beckley, Chief Executive Officer, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has indicated that, the country records an average of 2000 fatal accidents and injuries every year.

He said it was unfortunate that despite the efforts made by the DVLA, the Police Motto Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and other stakeholders the carnage and fatalities continue on the roads.

He made the pronouncement at the capacity building workshop for MTTD personnel on road traffic regulations and the introduction of the new electronic road worthiness certificate.

The theme for the workshop was ‘’Enhancing the capacity of the MTTD personnel to enforce the contents on the new road traffic regulation 2012 and the new electronic road worthiness certificate’’.

Mr. Beckley said the DVLA, MTTD and the NRSC must collaborate to ensure that, the implementation and enforcement of the regulations enshrined in the L.I 2180 are attained by Ghanaians.

He indicated that, road crashes continue to claim lives and as such should be a matter of great concern to all Ghanaians, adding that, an analysis of road traffic crash statistics reveal that, more than 95 percent of the crashes occur as direct result of road offences.

“No better approach can therefore resolve this problem than a combination of intensified and targeted road user education and enforcement” he added.

Mr. Beckley said though road user education transforms behaviour, it takes targeted enforcement to sustain the transformed behaviour.

He added that it is important that all stakeholders’ dialogue and improve the enforcement capacities through the acquisition of knowledge and appreciation of the law.

He called on all stakeholders to participate in saving lives on the roads.

Mr Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere, the Eastern Regional Minister, said there is the need to train traffic law enforcement officers to be abreast with the implementation of the road traffic regulation 2012, L.I 2180 which is aimed at protecting and promoting safety on the road.

He indicated that the NRSC mid-year report shows a significant reduction in the number of traffic deaths and injuries in the Eastern Region by four percent which is a positive sign, but urge all stakeholders to do more despite the positive trends to eliminate deaths and injuries on the roads.