Journalists Urged To Support Fight Against Road Accidents

The media has been urged to take up the fight against the unacceptable state of affairs on roads to ensure that the traveling public enjoys safe and secured road transport services.

Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Head of Research, Education, and training of MTTD made this appeal at a media workshop held Tuesday, in Kumasi, organized by the road safety commission in collaboration with Ghana Journalist Association.

The forum Dubbed: "Effective road safety advocacy campaign, the role of the Media" aim at equipping journalist on their contributions to curb road accident in the country.

In his presentation Superintendent, Kwaku Oben said, road accident is killing many people due to bad roads, overspeeding, overtaking, driving on alcohol, distractions among others.

He also said, ensuring road safety a Campaign by the road authority cannot be done alone without the help of media and the country as a whole since a lot of people rely on the people for information.

He charged journalists to be knowledgeable about the laws of the road safety so that they can assist the police in the work.

He admonished that the media should strategize the radio and television program to educate people on road safety and also make slots available to talk about the causes of road accidents and getting measures to solve it, rather than using our time to politized.

He appealed to the media to support public and private sector initiatives aimed at educating the public on road safety, especially in this election year.

Dr. Affail Monney, the President of the Ghana Journalist Association said, " the powerful weapon is the media" the media have an influence on the people than another person and a lot of people listen to the radio and TV.

He lamented that the media should "Name and Shame" we should name and shame the authorities that is not doing his or her work and ensure that the right thing is done.

Adding that "prevention is better than cure" he said, it is a task we all have to achieve. we shouldn't wait for an accident to occur before we come to report.

He advises to report issues as they occur and appeal to make time on the radio and TV to educate people on road safety to ensure road accident reduces.

He urged all to support and advocate on road safety to ensure drivers get to their destination safely.

Director-General national road safety authority, Ing Mrs. May Obiriyeboah said, they are putting up measures to ensure the roads are safe and they can't do it without the media.

She added that we need to prevent accidents and not to let it happened before we report.

She said when you are in a car and the driver is driving carelessly you have to question the driver to come to his scenes in other not to cause accidents.

She urged the media to team up with the authorities to ensure the right things are done.