Road accidents kill Ghanaians more than AIDS

“The menace of road accidents should be a major concern to all, since it has taken over from HIV|AIDS as the number one killer. Whilst it takes sometime for HIV/AIDS to kill, that of road accidents is instant.”

These were the lamentations of the Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Joseph Amenowode, when a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in the region, Road Safety Enforcement Foundation (ROSEF), called on him to outline a number of activities the organisation had lined up to help reduce accidents on our roads.

He said major stakeholders in the transport sector, such as the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) were doing their best to reduce accidents on the road, but unfortunately, much has not been achieved.

Mr. Amenowode observed that the way and manner people have been acquiring driving licenses was very worrying, alleging some even sit in their homes, yet manage to acquire the license.

According to him, though driving schools are supposed to give proper training to prospective drivers, most of them are not reliable, as they are more interested in money than the training of drivers.

Mr. Amenowode therefore called on the appropriate authorities to streamline the acquisition of driver's licenses, and also eliminate malpractices that go with the acquisition.

He charged ROSEF to work in collaboration with the National Road Safety Commission, the GPRTU, and the police as well as other responsible authorities, to help mitigate road accident cases in the region and the country.

The President of the Road Safety Enforcement Foundation and the Chief of Ave-Atanve, Torgbui Dunyo Hodzi IV, said the alarming destruction of the nation's manpower base, through road accidents, called for pragmatic measures to address the problem.

Torgbui Dunyo Hodzi observed that most of the accidents could have been avoided, if preventive measures were seriously followed, and gave the assurance that his organisation would work hard to serve as an organ for enforcing road safety laws, establish road safety educational units, at all major lorry stations for both drivers and passengers, on safety measures on the road.

The ROSEF President pointed out that the NGO would also monitor the performance of drivers and roadworthiness of commercial vehicles, as well as the health status of drivers. Torgbui Dunyo Hodzi emphasised the need for regular maintenance of roads, and the availability of towing services, in order to facilitate the prompt clearance of broken down vehicles on the road, and the provision of adequate road signs to guide drivers.