General News of Thursday, 29 December 2011

Source: GNA

Let us arrive in 2012 alive - National Road Safety Commission

Accra, Dec. 29, GNA - The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) on Thursday cautioned drivers against fatigue driving, drunk driving and speeding to arrive in 2012 alive.

In a statement issued in Accra and copied to Ghana News Agency, the Commission expressed appreciation to all road users and sympathies to families that lost relatives to road traffic crashes and those whose acquaintances suffered road traffic injuries.

It said NRSC reached the milestone of launching text materials to allow the teaching of road safety in all basic schools in Ghana this year.

In addition, the Commission developed and launched the National Road Safety Strategy III (NRSSIII), adopting the safe systems approach, shifting a major share of the responsibility to institutions as well as engaged with captains of identifiable groups with considerable responsibility within the framework of the NRSSIII.

The NRSC recognised the effect of the speed problem on the road safety situation and this year signed partnership agreements with some private entities for the supply and fitting of speed limiters and deployment of speed cameras next year.

The statement said the NRSC promoted the use of retro reflective materials to enhance visibility of some category of vehicles at night.

It announced that 2,083 road traffic deaths were recorded between January and November this year, representing a 20 per cent rise compared to the situation of the same period last year.

The statement appreciated the partnership of key stakeholders, transport organisations, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service, road agencies, National Ambulance Service, Ghana Red Cross Society and the media towards raising the overall profile of road safety in 2011.