The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) says it is overwhelmed by the number of road accidents recorded this year.
The Commission said it has recorded over 11,000 accidents this year; about 2,000 more cases from the 2015 figure of about 9,000. It said it had failed to meet its 2016 target in reducing traffic-related deaths to 1,000.
According to the Head of Communications at the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Kwame Kodua Atuahene said even though road accident incidents usually soar during election periods, this year’s incidents were extremely worrying.
“This year has been particularly challenging, you look at the figures against the targets we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year and it has been one of a worrying report. We set out that by the end of year, traffic-related death will not exceed 1,440 but as at November we are almost at 2,000.”
“We did not anticipate that we will get here. When you look at the data for the last three years, every year we have recorded a decline in all the indicators. The trends have been that in every election year we have new kinds of challenges which could be addressed.” He said the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) was working closely with Police service to increase visibility and ensure sanity on the road. “The Police have been asked to increase their visibility for the next few till the end of the year,” Kodua Atuahene said.
‘44 people die in election period accidents’
A total of 44 people died during Ghana’s electioneering period between 7 and 10 December 2016. 100 accident cases were reported within the period with about 157 vehicles involved.
The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) at a media briefing earlier this month said the accidents figures in the country had increased significantly.
The Executive Director of the Commission, May Obiri Yeboah, urged the public follow all road safety regulations to ensure an accident-free festive season. She also called on drivers to be mindful of their conduct on the road to avoid endangering their lives and that of other road-users.
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