The Brong-Ahafo Region from January to June this year has recorded 62 deaths in 327 road crashes.

The total number of accidents for the period under review is 10 times more than the same period in 2016 which was 317, whilst the number of persons who died was 118 less, implying 180 within that period last year.

Police Superintendent Stella Sedame, the Regional Commander of the Motto Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on Monday about the first-half of the year accidents cases in Sunyani. P/Supt. Sedame said 49 of the deaths were males and 13 females, adding that 133 persons were also injured and it comprised 45 fatal, 52 serious and 36 minor cases.

She said 136 vehicles were involved, consisting of 97 commercial and 39 private vehicles, in addition to 46 motor cycles, seven bicycles and five tricycles.

P/Supt. Sedame said the Region again recorded 36 pedestrian knock-downs, 13 of them died and 36 injured.

She appealed to drivers to be conscious and more meticulous when driving to prevent the avoidable killing of families’ bread winners, because “most accidents could be avoided with little carefulness by the drivers”, P/Supt. Sedame stressed.

P/Supt. Sedame urged drivers to be considerate on the road to other road users and not drive carelessly to cause accidents to destroy lives and properties.

She advised drivers who must wear either short or long-sighted glasses upon the recommendation of health authorities or the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority to kindly do so to see clearly to prevent road carnage.

P/Supt. Sedame stressed the need for motor, bicycle and tricycle riders to always wear helmets for their own safety and also put reflectors on the motors and cycles to alert on-coming vehicles and those following them of their presence on the road to avoid being crashed.

She advised pedestrians to look carefully, left and right of the road before crossing, since like all machines, vehicles could also have brake failure at anytime to cause accident.

P/Supt. Sedame therefore entreated the public to assist in minimising road accidents in the Region and the country in general.