Takoradi, April 17, GNA - Mr Thomas Bismark Boakye, Western Regional Coordinator of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has expressed concern about the alarming rate of road accidents in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and the Western Region as a whole. Mr Boakye was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Friday in Takoradi.

He said between January and March this year, 225 accident cases were recorded in the region as compared to 87 recorded in 2008 with Sefwi Wiawso recording the highest of 30 accidents for the first quarter of this year.

Mr Boakye said 49 people died through accidents within the period under review as compared to 13 who died in 2008, while 224 others sustained various degrees of injuries as compared to 65 last year. He said 301 vehicles were involved in these accidents as compared to 120 within the same period last year. Mr Boakye said most pedestrians competed with vehicles on the road instead of using pedestrian walkways. Others also failed to obey simple road usage usually ended up being knocked down by moving vehicles, he said. Mr Boakye said some drivers usually over-sped in towns and cities instead of driving within the approved speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour.

He said the number of vehicles in the metropolis was increasing by the day causing vehicular traffic and making it difficult for both drivers and pedestrians to find their way.

Mr Boakye said the Commission had introduced the Vehicle Logbook for long distance drivers and that the Commission would continue to embark on their educational campaigns on road safety. He said the NRSC would continue to sensitize drivers on road usage, defensive driving approach and other modern driving techniques to reduce accidents in the region.

He advised pedestrians to be careful on the road and drivers to adhere to traffic and road signs to avoid all forms of accident.