NRSC intensifies passenger empowerment campaign

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Office of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), has intensified the passenger empowerment campaign, launched by the Commission some few months ago.

The campaign, introduced by the NRSC this year, as means to help reduce road crashes in the country, is aimed at sensitizing and empowering passengers to demand safety from drivers whenever they board vehicles.

Led by Mr Yaw Asante Yeboah, Assistant Planning Officer at the Regional Office of the NRSC, a team of seven officers, including National Service Personnel from the Commission, embarked on a vigorous campaign visit to the Techiman Municipality on Wednesday.

The visit took the team to interact with passengers and commercial drivers at the Techiman main lorry station and two additional lorry parks within the municipality.

Passengers were sensitized on the need to wear seat belts, check drivers against over-speeding, and report suspected drunk drivers to authorities before setting off on their journeys.

The Commission also distributed varieties of road safety education materials to drivers during the exercise which lasted for about four hours.

Mr Yeboah noted with regret that road accidents were assuming alarming proportions in the region, stating that 84 people had died through 322 road accidents recorded in the region from January to March this year.

He said because about 90 percent of road accidents are caused by human error, there is the need for passengers to strictly observe drivers whenever they set off on their journeys.

Mr Yeboah emphasized that the Road Traffic Regulation prescribed the maximum permissible speed limits for all categories of roads, and advised drivers to adhere to those limits and strictly observe road signs and warnings.

He said it is an offence under LI 2180 to talk on mobile phones while driving, and advised passengers to check drivers against such practice.

Mr Yeboah emphasized that road safety education was a shared and collective responsibility, and it would therefore be wrong for passengers if they failed to join the campaign to play their expected roles.

Many of the passengers who spoke with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) lauded the campaign, but urged the Commission to engage more people to continue with the education.