Commercial Drivers Advised To Drink Enough Water For Stress-Free Driving

Commercial drivers across the country have been urged to drink water regularly whilst driving to reduce stress and fatigue during long journeys.

Mr Adams Abdul-Samad, Senior Emergency Medical Technician of the National Ambulance Service gave the advice when he was speaking at the Brong-Ahafo Regional launch of the Road Safety education campaign in the Sunyani Municipality.

The campaign being organised by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) is being held under the theme: 'Stop Road Accidents', and it is aimed at helping to bring sanity on the roads.

Mr Abdul-Samad said fatigued driving was extremely dangerous because studies showed many accidents that occurred on the road were as a result of that.

Majority of drivers who drive under fatigue lose concentration, veer off their lanes and subsequently crash, he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Godfred Owusu-Boateng, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Commander, warned drivers against the use of mobile phones whilst driving.

As the Christmas approaches, he said, the Police would intensify enforcement on major highways and deal decisively with offending drivers.

DCOP Owusu-Boateng advised passengers and road users to report misbehaving drivers to the Police by picking registration numbers of their vehicles.

Road users can report careless and inconsiderate drivers to any nearest Police Station, he said.

DCOP Owusu-Boateng said drunk-driving, drug abuse, excessive speeding, wrongful overtaking and fatigue driving were behaviours that endangered the lives of passengers and other road users.

Mr Antwi Bosompem, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA), said driving is a noble profession and advised drivers to comport themselves whiles on the road.

He urged drivers to always check their brakes, tyres, lighting systems and horns before they set off their journeys.

Mr Bosompem also urged drivers to do regular vehicle maintenance to make them worthy on the road.

Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO) Solomon Agyemang-Duah, of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) projected a severe harmattan and advised drivers to be cautious on the road.

He said road accidents are becoming alarming in the region, saying currently the service was attending to road crashes more than fire outbreaks.

ADO Agyemang-Duah advised the general public to promptly alert the Service when the need arises to save lives and properties.

Mr Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Head of the NRSC, said road crashes has claimed 209 deaths in the region this year.

He said human error is the major contributory factor of road accidents and advised drivers to obey road signs and traffic regulations.

Mr Boateng said the Techiman-Kintampo highway has become accident-prone road in the region and gave the assurance that the Commission and its partnering road agencies and stakeholders would intensify night enforcement exercises on that particular stretch.

Source: GNA