Reducing road accidents in Ghana

Once a person is born, it is obvious that he or she will die but one of the painful ways people lose their lives is through road accidents. It is very sad to see young and energetic people who could have contributed immensely to the welfare of their families and the development of the nation lose their lives through road accidents.

In spite of the various campaigns by the National Road Safety Commission to reduce the carnage on our roads, the rate of accidents in the country is still very high. I believe that these accidents could be attributed mostly to reckless human behaviour.

Most drivers drive recklessly on the road and do not pay attention to road signs. Some drivers talk on the phone and drive at the same time, which makes them pay divided attention while driving their vehicles and they end up making dangerous mistakes on the road.

The police recently arrested some drivers who flouted the law on the use of one’s mobile phone while driving but it seems this has been relaxed because a number of drivers still use their phones without earpieces.

Commercial vehicle drivers, in their bid to make more money, speed and put the lives of passengers at risk daily. This results in numerous accidents with some unfortunate people dying or getting maimed for the rest of their lives.

The nature of our roads is also be a contributory factor to the problem. Our roads are so bad that a journey which should take an hour or less takes more than two hours. When drivers try to dodge potholes, they end up colliding with oncoming vehicles. 

Some drivers also do not maintain their vehicles while others engage in drink-driving. All these contribute to the increase in road accidents and lead to needless deaths.

I, therefore, call on the government to rehabilitate the bad roads and constantly maintain them. The station masters should also ensure that they have rules that should be obeyed by all drivers. They should also ensure that drivers belonging to the unions do not leave the stations if they have taken in alcohol. Drivers whose vehicles are not properly maintained should not be allowed to operate at the various stations. It would be in the interest of all if the police would wage a ‘war’ on all drivers who use their mobile phones while driving.

If these suggestions are adhered to strictly, I believe road accidents will reduce drastically and precious lives will be saved.