More deaths on our roads – MTTD laments

Superintendent of Police Alexander Obeng, Director of Education and Training, Motor Traffic and Transport Department, has called for sanity on the roads to reduce deaths and injuries as Ghana records more crashes .

For the past three years, road accidents had surged due to disrespect for traffic regulations, especially on the part of motor cycle users, he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.

He gave some of the indiscipline practices as speeding, over loading, drunk driving, use of worn-out tyres, driving without license, non wearing seat belts and non wearing helmets by motor riders.

Superintendent Obeng disclosed that between January and February 2021, of the 2,560 reported accident cases; 1,581 commercial vehicles were involved, with 1,777 caused by private ones and 974 motor bikes.

He said motorcycles caused the deaths of 212 people out of the total deaths of 517 recorded in the 17 police regions in Ghana.

Superintendent Obeng said a total of 4,332 vehicles including motorbikes were involved in the period under review, adding that 2,766 persons got injured of which motorcycle victims who got injured were 760.

In all, the Ashanti Region topped the total number of cases with 709, followed by the Eastern with 494, Accra; 401, Central; 242, Tema, 237 and Western; 115, he noted.

He enumerated the rest as Savanna; 89, Ahafo; 71, both Upper East and Bono East Regions chalking 63 each, Western North; 58, Northern; 57, both Volta and Upper West Regions registered 52 each, Bono; 46, Oti had 13 with North East recording the least with four.

Mr Obeng said more victims had died in Ashanti with 108 compared to 91 and 67 deaths in the Eastern and Greater Accra, respectively.

He mentioned some of the accident prone areas in the Ashanti as N6 and N8 Roads, Dadieso, Konongo, Ejisu, Suame, Offinso, Pakyi Numbers One and Two, Anwiankwanta, Mampong, New Edubiase as well as areas where motorcycles operate.

Dadieso, Nkawkaw, Nsutem, Akyem Asafo, Apagya, Suhum, Akuse Junction, Kpong and Ada, all leading to the Eastern Region have been identified as accident prone areas, he said.

With the Greater Accra, he said areas such as N1, the Central Business District (CBD), Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Nsawam and Amasaman roads had the highest numbers of accidents due their busy nature and disregard for road regulations by users.

He also gave other causes as the nuisance of motor cycle operators, dual carriage roads which were still single, abandoning disabled vehicles which served as death traps, indiscipline pedestrians, dark roads, unmarked speed ramps, unrepaired roads, roads that flood causing hydro-plane and others.

However, he said the Police had not relented and had been working hard to clamp-down on recalcitrant road users and ensuring they faced the law, adding that all must come on board to deal with the pandemic.

The Director of Education and Training stated that so far, 423 offenders of the traffic offences had been sent to court and 362 sentenced to a total fine of GHS205,190.00, saying that 46 were awaiting trial, 32 under investigations, six had refused to attend court and bench warrants had been issued for their arrest, two persons are serving prison sentences whereas ten had been discharged.