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Mon, 14 Oct 2024 Article

A nation in peril: Road safety as a defining issue for Ghana's presidential candidates

By Michael Osei Owusu, CMILT
A nation in peril: Road safety as a defining issue for Ghana's presidential candidates

The issue of road safety in Ghana has reached critical levels, with the daily news dominated by stories of fatal crashes, horrific injuries, and widespread suffering on the nation's roads. With Ghana on the cusp of another presidential election, it is imperative to ask the urgent and critical question to each of the presidential aspirants: What will you do in respect of road safety???

Ghanaians deserve a clear, an actionable plan that will address the growing concerns around transportation and its impact on public health, safety, and overall quality of life. Every day, countless lives are disrupted by the catastrophic toll of road crashes, which not only lead to an increase in deaths but also inflict severe and permanent injuries. Our current road safety environment undermines life expectancy, threatens national development, and further impoverishes the most vulnerable. This leads to the most pressing concerns: What will you do to ensure that our life expectancy is increased with regards to transportation and travel?

Over the past few decades, Ghana has witnessed a dramatic rise in road-related injuries, from broken bones and deep cuts to life-altering deformities. People are being maimed, disfigured, and left with traumatic injuries that will follow them for the rest of their lives. These injuries do not only result in individual suffering but also impact families and communities. For instance, a breadwinner who is left maimed after an accident might lose their ability to provide for their family, plunging them into poverty. The ripple effects of these injuries permeate society, stretching from hospitals to homes, as the nation's fragile healthcare system struggles to accommodate the rising tide of victims. How will presidential candidates address this issue, and what concrete steps will be taken to reduce the rate of injuries on our roads?

One cannot discuss road safety without acknowledging the deeply traumatic experiences that come with road accidents. Survivors are often haunted by the memories of the incident, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health challenges. The fear of traveling on Ghana's highways is widespread, and the psychological toll of road crashes is evident in many people who have survived or lost loved ones in these tragedies. The question remains: How will you as a presidential candidate address the growing psychological impact of road accidents? Will there be increased support for mental health services for road accident survivors?

Furthermore, the economic consequences of road accidents cannot be overstated. Accidents often sever economic connections between communities, regions, and even countries. When a highway is rendered dangerous due to the frequent occurrence of accidents, businesses suffer as transportation becomes unreliable and risky. Farmers in rural areas, who depend on safe roads to transport their goods to urban markets, are particularly affected. The inability to move products safely and efficiently from one location to another leads to deprivation and contributes to Ghana's rural-urban economic divide. Communities become isolated, and essential services are disrupted, leading to food insecurity, unemployment, and further impoverishment. The question for the presidential aspirants is clear: What policies will you implement to address these economic disconnections and ensure that the roads facilitate, rather than hinder, development?

The time for political promises is over; what Ghanaians need now is action. With road safety as a major public health and economic concern, each presidential aspirant must provide a detailed roadmap for addressing this urgent issue. This plan should include concrete steps such as enforcing traffic regulations, improving road infrastructure, increasing public awareness of road safety practices, and strengthening emergency response systems. The nation can no longer afford to lose its citizens to preventable road crashes. It is up to the future president to lead Ghana into an era where road safety is prioritized, and the carnage and injuries on our roads become outdated.

BY Michael Osei Owusu, CMILT
(Transport/Road Safety Consultant)

Ace Transport & Road Safety Consult Ltd.

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