Accident Free Yuletide

; Statement By One Man Crusader Against Road Carnage

As Ghana celebrates Christmas and the yuletide, I write to urge motorists not only to drive with care, but obey all traffic rules and laws during the Yuletide and the New Year. The yuletide is a symbolic period of sharing love, merry making and expression of tiding and peace and it would be appreciable if we as a nation could go through the celebration of the yuletide without a shred of blood spilling on our road. I pray that we would all abide and ensure the highest standards of basic rudiments of road ethics especially in this festive period
In the mean time, there are steps that can be taken without any government intervention to avoid the perennial loss of human life and its resultant psychological suffering. GPRTU should do more by monitoring their members with incentives such as best driver of the year with half of the votes coming from the general public and penalizing those that come at the lower end of the pile. The concept of democracy, which has come to stay in our lives, should not be used only in just legitimizing political parties to assume reigns of government but must be appropriated in every sphere of our lives. Passengers should be able to asset their right when drivers are driving carelessly and over speeding; because if you don't protest the way your hair is being shaped it will be done badly. And if you sit in a car and the driver is driving like there is no tomorrow and you do not protest there is no such thing as being hard done but you end up in the grave.
We have to create the awareness in our communities, in our churches and mosques, in the various private clubs and most importantly the GPRTU. Any application of the strong arm of the law is going to be counterproductive because the officials of the MTU division of Ghana police service will just make a fool of the system. The police would not compromise its stands on safety during the festive period also identified proper maintenance of vehicles, day-light traveling, and observances of traffic rules and laws among others as factors that could reduce accident rate on high ways. We are also begging you not to take alcohol because your own lives and that of others may depend on your composure while driving,
This is a tragedy that can be avoided; it is basic common sense. Let us pull our sleeves and tackle it head on.
I wish you merry Christmas and an accident free prosperous New Year.

Ampadu-Siaw
One Man Crusader Against Road Accident.
0208113190