Sleeping Drivers Cause Accidents

Samuel Kwofie, Vice President of the Ghana Institute of Safety and Environmental Professionals (GhiSEP), has cautioned drivers not to fall asleep behind the steering wheels, maintaining that that is one of the causes of road accidents in the country.

According to him, driver fatigue contributes to about 20 per cent of road crashes. He added that deaths and injuries associated with road crashes are not an individual and family issue but a national tragedy which must be tackled collectively.

“Drivers must be careful to avoid taking any medicines that cause drowsiness as a side-effect. Anti-motion sickness pills, sedative antihistamines and certain cold and flu remedies are among drugs available over the counter which can make driving dangerous,” Mr Samuel Kwofie noted.

“Being fatigued significantly increases the risk of a crash. It makes a driver less aware of what is happening on the road and impairs their ability to respond quickly and safely if a dangerous situation arises,” he added.

Mr Samuel Kwofie gave the caution when members of the GhiSEP in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem municipality organized a programme on road safety for members of the Tarkwa branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU).

“There are some warning signs to look out for, including constant yawning or rubbing your eyes and drifting in the lane. Keep in mind that if you are experiencing any of these symptoms of driver fatigue, it is very likely that your driving performance is already impaired,” he told the drivers.

He continued, “One of the ways to solve the problem is by sleeping. Until you can catch up on lost sleep you will have a greater risk of having a fatigue-related accident.”

During an open forum the drivers attributed the other causes of road accidents to over-speeding, bad roads, lack of driving experience, abuse of alcohol and drugs and distractions while driving.

Mr Julius Awheitey, Secretary to the Tarkwa main branch of GPRTU, also attributed the increase in road accidents in the area to over-speeding, the sharp curves and the unmarked portion of the road from Nsuaem to Tarkwa.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Tarkwa