Magistrate caution drivers

Mankranso, (Ash), Jan. 4, GNA - Mr Frank Owusu-Afriyie, the Presiding Magistrate of the Mankranso Court, has advised commercial drivers to desist from careless driving that often put the lives of passengers and other road users in danger. He said driving was noble and safe if drivers avoided negligence, lawlessness and observe the rules and regulations that governed the profession.

Mr Owusu-Afriyie said this on Tuesday when he convicted a 30-year-old driver for careless driving and causing harm. He fined him 200 Ghana cedis or serve 24 months in jail in hard labour. Police Inspector Abraham Agyei Mensah told the court that on November 7, 2005, Karikari Agyeman, who was driving a bus from Tepa to Kumasi, veered off the road and ran into a ditch.

Some passengers sustained various injuries and were taken to hospital. The magistrate attributed the cause of the accident to careless driving and explained that the distance was so close that the speed limit should not have exceeded second gear and that he could have carefully avoided the accident if he was not over-speeding.