Accidents: 2 people die every week in Brong-Ahafo Region

Two people die every week through road accidents on the Techiman-Buipe Highway in the Brong-Ahafo Region, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Patrick Adusei Sarpong said on Thursday.

He disclosed that almost all the 86 deaths recorded in the region through road accidents in the past four months occurred on the highway.

ACP Sarpong was speaking to Ghana News Agency in an interview in Sunyani, after an exhibition exercise mounted by the Regional Office of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) at the Sunyani main lorry park.

The exercise, which showcased some road accident scenes, formed part of activities outlined by the commission for the commemoration of this year’s West Africa Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) Day.

WARSO day, which falls on May 8 every year, aimed at promoting and reinforcing road safety activities and practices in West Africa through effective management of road safety with the primary aim of reducing road traffic crashes, associated death and injuries.

ACP Sarpong observed that road crashes in the Region had taken alarming proportion from the start of 2014, indicating that if pragmatic steps are not taken, to control the situation it, it would claim the lives of more people by the close of the year.

He said though the NRSC and its partners are doing much on road safety education, the public, especially passengers ought to support the campaign.

Mr. Agyabeng Mensah Abrampa, Regional Manager of the NRSC, said since human error is the major contributory factor to road accidents, passengers ought to check drivers against drunk-driving and speeding.

He said since road accidents could occur to any person, there is the need for all and sundry to support the commission in efforts to bring sanity on the roads.

Mr. Abrampa appealed to drivers to be extra cautious and avoid unnecessary over-taking and over-speeding.

WARSO is a non-political organisation established in May 2008, under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by the then President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Muhammed Ibn Chambas.

It works to promote road safety in the West African sub-region and also foster partnership and collaboration among member states for the advancement of regional and global road safety agenda.