GLOMEF calls on world leaders to pay more attention to road safety issues

The Founder and CEO of Global Media Foundation, a specialized development communications, research and advocacy organisation, Raphael Godlove Ahenu Jr, has called on world leaders especially G8 countries, the World Bank, African Development Bank, World Health Organisation, and other International Development Organisations to pay equal attention and treat road safety issues as developmental one as they are doing with climate change and COVID-19 pandemic.

He said, globally, it is estimated that some 1.4 million people die from road crashes, with most of these being the youth, and people from developing countries.

The human rights crusader said concerns about road traffic collision must be the front burner of many countries, particularly developing countries like Ghana, where road safety issues are compounded not only by an increase in population but also by inadequate road infrastructure and ineffective safety policies and transportation systems.

In an interview to launch new road safety project, Mr Ahenu said, the burden of road crashes in world require a conscientious and multi-sectoral approach to reduce its occurrence and impact.

The Ghana Road Safety Initiative (GRSI) is aimed at strengthening media/civil society’s voice to demand strong leadership for road safety through evidence-based advocacy and policy interventions.

The GRSI Project, he said will empower, and strengthen Media/CSOs to stimulate collaborative advocacy, action, and improve accountability measures to address road safety issues in Ghana.

The initiative will enhance the knowledge, skills and actions of 200 journalists and 400 CSOs/NGOs across Ghana to plan and execute successful campaigns that will communicate a robust road safety message to help drive change in Ghana.

The CEO noted that, aside from the mortality and morbidity associated with the road crashes, statistics have shown that Ghanaian households spend an average of US$ 1687.65 in direct and indirect cost on severe injuries associated with road crashes, while many suffer considerable degrees of psychological distress.

Statistics from the National Road Safety Commission shows that Ghana loses about 1.7 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product every year to road collisions, in addition to the loss of lives.

In Ghana, according to him, 72 persons out of every 100 000 population, suffered from grievous bodily injury, and close to 8 of the same population died from Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) over the past decade.

He noted that records from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) revealed that the number of commuters killed in road traffic crashes for the first nine months of the year 2021 alone rose by 16.37% compared to the same period 2020.

Road traffic accidents accounted for 62% of deaths at the casualty unit of the emergency department at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, alone.

According to him, at the primary level, implementation of traffic rules and regulations is key, saying road safety should be of concern to all stakeholders, as both motorists and pedestrians are at risk of the hazards of road crashes.

He stressed the need for media and CSOs to work collectively to complement government efforts at ensuring road users safety in Ghana. This is achieved through the provision of advocacy and sensitisation initiatives to influence government decision-making and policy initiatives on road safety in Ghana.