Commercial drivers urged to be extra careful during elections

-Mr. Thomas Bismark Boakye, Western Regional Coordinator of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), on Thursday called on commercial drivers to avoid excesses on the roads to prevent accidents and loss of lives as this year's Presidential and General elections draw close.

He made the call at a meeting with commercial drivers as part of the celebration of this year's Road Safety Week at Takoradi.

The meeting was under the theme: “Ensuring Crash/Accident Free Election 2008”.

Mr. Boakye said road accidents were usually high during periods of election but this time round, drivers should ensure accident free elections.

He advised them not to drive continuously for more than four hours without breaking and not more than eight hours a day.

Mr. Boakye said they should avoid making or receiving phone calls while driving and to drive with extra care during the night and when it is raining.

He said, “Don't overtake wrongly and do not overtake in a curve or on a hill or at sections with Continuous centre-line Markings”.

Mr. Boakye said about 1,600 people die annually in the country through road traffic accidents and at least, four persons are reported killed in road traffic accidents daily.

He said 42 per cent of fatalities involved pedestrians and 23 per cent of pedestrian fatalities involved children below 16 years.

Mr. Boakye said the months of April and December register the highest accidents in the year and the Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions account for 80 per cent of the country's accidents.