THE Western Region recorded a total of 254 road accidents involving 300 vehicles between January and June this year.

The accidents claimed 88 lives and left 270 people injured, says the commander of Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Superintendent Victor Adusa-Poku when launching "Skyy Road Safety Campaign" at Takoradi on Friday.

The four-day road safety education campaign was organised by the Management of Skyy Group of Companies in collaboration with the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), for drivers in Sekondi-Takoradi, Tarkwa, Daboase and other parts of the region.

Supt Adusa-Poku attributed the rampant accidents in the region to non-observance of road traffic laws including overspeeding, wrongful overtaking, lack of regular maintenance of vehicles and driving tired or drunk.

He therefore advised drivers to be more careful on the roads in order to avoid accidents.

Mr Charles Obro, an official of Metropolitan Insurance Company Limited expressed concern about non- enforcement of laws that prohibits selling of alcoholic drinks at lorry parks and urged the authorities to ensure that the law is enforced.

He recommended compulsory training and testing of drivers by recognised driving schools and the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority as a way of ensuring that only competent drivers are issued with Licenses.

Mr Obro said the use of mobile phones while driving should be discouraged saying that the highway code needed to be modified because parts had become outmoded.

Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Executive, asked passengers to treasure their lives more than the businesses they are traveling to transact and to desist from urging drivers to speed up.

"This type of pressure on driver contribute to road accidents," he said adding that "when we travel in haste, we are likely to die in haste".

Mr Nkrumah urged passengers to co-operate with a driver who complains of tiredness and feeling sleepy to park off the road and rest for some few minutes before they continue with their journey.

The Western Regional Minister, Mr A. E. Amoah who launched the campaign, lamented the increasing number of accidents in the region which have claimed many precious lives.

He reminded the drivers that accidents increase during election years and therefore advised them to be extra cautious during the campaign period of political parties.

Source: Godfrey K. Nyanney, Takoradi - The Ghanaian Times