We need to change our approach to fighting road accidents - Dr Kwesi Aning

We need to change our understanding and approach to road traffic carnage, that is advice coming from Security Analyst, Dr Kwesi Aning.

According to him, the government must immediately deploy funds to enable relevant enforcement agencies to deal with the carnage on the nation’s road.

A total of 771 deaths have been confirmed already as arising from road accidents this year alone. This puts the daily average number of deaths from road accidents at seven (7), with the latest accident that happened on Tuesday resulting in 15 deaths.

Security Analyst Dr Kwesi Aning argues that accidents have moved from being a national security situation to something that threatens our very existence as a people.

“It goes beyond just the security side, it encompasses economy, it encompasses our developmental space, it encompasses the family, community coherence, our very existence is in danger.”

He further argues that if it were COVID or other diseases claiming lives the way road accidents have been doing lately, measures would have been adopted to curtail the situation, urging the government to take immediate steps to dealing with situation.

“If the COVID had killed the number of people that have died last year and this year, if HIV kills at the rate that people are dying on our roads, we would have alleviated this existential threat. We would have found extra budgetary resources to ensure that the carnages are brought under control. We would have hauled those who are responsible to talk to the people of Ghana about the interventions that they are making, similar to the COVID intervention so we need to change our approach, our attitude, our understanding to road traffic carnage.”

“It is more than just what we see on the roads, our very survival, our peace of mind is under threat because now you cannot take it for granted that X is going to this place and will return safely.” He lamented.