[ 2017-04-20 ]

25 killed, 93 injured in road crashes during Easter - MTTD
Twenty-five people were killed in 120 road crashes
across the country during the just-ended Easter
festivities, whilst 93 sustained various degrees
of injury.

He stated that 26 pedestrians were also knocked
down by vehicles during the same period. However
no road accidents were recorded in Kwahu in the
Eastern Region during the festivities.

The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD)
of the Ghana Police Service which confirmed the
figures said there were 17 fatalities on the roads
during the celebrations last year.

Accidents recorded from April 14 to 17 this year,
involved 73 commercial vehicles, 91 private cars
and 30 motor cycles.

The breakdown of the accidents in the regions are;
Greater Accra 48, Tema – seven,Eastern
-16,Central -six,Western -10,Brong-Ahafo –
four,Ashanti -18, Volta -seven,Northern -two with
Upper West and Upper East recording one each.

The Head of Education Research and Training of the
MTTU, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)
Alexander Obeng told The Ghanaian Times in Accra
yesterday that the causes of the accidents
included speeding, indiscipline on the roads and
unlawful changing of lanes.

DSP Obeng said as part of efforts to ensure sanity
on the roads, the police in collaboration with
stakeholders in the transport sector including the
Driver Vehicle and Licenses Authority and the
National Road Safety Commission have embarked on
its vigorous sensitisation programmes.

“We will sustain the pre-Easter education to
ensure drivers obey best practices,” adding that
“police on the roads will ensure the enforcement
of the law.”

DSP Obeng said the MTTD has observed that some
drivers either do not have licenses or were using
unapproved ones, and cautioned that they soon
would embark on an exercise to arrest and
prosecute them.

He further warned vehicle owners not to release
their vehicles to unlicensed drivers. DSP Obeng
urged drivers to tow their vehicles off the road
when they develop mechanical faults, adding that
the police can be contacted on emergencies lines
such as 191 and 18555 for support.

He urged drivers to abide by the road safety
regulations to ensure that precious lives and
property were saved. Relatedly, our correspondent,
David Kodjo, reports from Koforidua that 32 people
died in 275 vehicular accidents in the Eastern
Region alone between January and March this year.

The Eastern Regional MTTU, Assistant Commissioner
of Police (ACP) Ebenezer Larbi who disclosed this,
added that 495 people were also injured while 101
pedestrians were knocked down by vehicles within
the same period.

Speaking at a regional road safety education
programme, ACP Larbi described the situation as
very alarming.

The campaign was organised by the commission to
create awareness and reduce the number of road
accidents.

The Eastern Regional Road Safety Manager, Kwasi
Tibi Yirenkyi said the region has some of the most
dangerous roads and urged drivers to exercise
caution when plying on them.

Source - peacefmonline.com

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