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26.09.2014 Social News

Road crashes and death ranked 10th

By GNA
Road crashes and death ranked 10thnrsc
26.09.2014 LISTEN

Accra, Sept 25, GNA - Mr David Osafo Adonteng, Director, Planning and Programmes, of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has said road crashes and death ranked 10th according to the league of dangerous illness globally.

'Traffic injuries are climbing high and we are currently at the 10th position which in the next two years will climb to overtake all the dangerous illness,' he said.

Mr Adonteng made the remarks on Wednesday when NRCS engaged members of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) to discuss, implement strategies, collaborate and gauge avenues for possible discussions in order to promote and appreciate safety.

He said Africa, which is a less motorized continent was rather suffering more in terms of injury because of poor facilities.

'When we narrow it down to Ghana, most of our roads have no land marks, others are deteriorated, with the rest being unfriendly,' he said.

Mr Adonteng however noted that, with all these setbacks in existence, pedestrians risk of getting killed in traffic was very high especially when pedestrians getting killed amount to 42 per cent of   the total fatalities in the country.

He however called for collaborative efforts among stakeholders especially the media to prioritise road safety stories, and also sensitize the public with educative programmes to help keep them informed on measures of staying alert as well as being each other's keeper.

Explaining the rational for the engagement between NRSC and GIBA, Mr Kwame Koduah Atuahene, Head, Communications of NRSC, said that it was part of NRSC programmes carried out every year to build partnership with institutions to assist in meeting the national target.

He said the media and GIBA were important in the nation's development and there was the need for the engagement to help them be conversant with road safety languages and technicalities, to help them fuse them in their programmes to serve as a benchmark in educating the public on road safety issues.

Mr Gerald Ankrah, Executive Director, GIBA assured NRSC of GIBA's commitment to uphold and make road safety campaign a shared responsibility among all.

'We have a lot to do to save people and not only those who drive on the roads but our lives in general,' he said.

Mr Kweku Rockson, a Member of the Board of Directors of NRSC, called on the Police, emergency response units, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority as well as the government to join efforts for practical ways to be adapted to effectively project road safety issues.

He also urged the media to show commitment by making messages heard, seen, accepted and adopted for attitudinal change towards roads safety.

GNA
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