The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has entreated drivers and passengers to take their own safety seriously before, during and after Easter.
Adherence to road safety rules and regulations, it indicated was not solely for the regulatory agencies but a shared and collective responsibility of all citizens.
It said passengers would have to understand that they were part of the driving process until they got to their destinations and therefore, needed to act decisively.
Mr Victor Kojo Wilson, the Western Regional Head of the NRSA, gave the caution after a joint enforcement exercise with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) on the Accra- Takoradi highway during which it carried out a thorough inspection of vehicles and documents of motorcyclists.
The team inspected the conditions of the vehicles to ensure they were road-worthy and interacted with passengers, educating them on the need to play their roles in road safety adherence.
Motorcyclists who did not have reflectors and other relevant e
quipment were seized and others, especially heavy trucks with proscribing lambs above the widescreens were asked to remove them.
Mr Wilson noted that it had become necessary for all to be vigilant in road safety management due to the empirical data indicating the rise of road fatalities and crashes during festive seasons.
The exercise embarked on jointly by the Western and Central Offices of the Authority on the Komenda Junction to Takoradi Highway where major crashes are recorded, is in connection with the 2024 road safety Easter campaign on the theme; ‘Stop Speeding, Stay Alive.’
‘Festive season comes with travel and heavy traffic arises on the major roads, so we want everyone to understand the essence of slowing down whilst driving to avoid accidents.’
Mr Wilson cautioned drivers to drive within the speed limits and passengers to desist from encouraging drivers to overspeed because it could have negative consequences not only for the driver but all on board.
‘Once you get into the public space you nee
d to adhere to every provision of the acts and the road travelling rules Acts LI 218.’
Madam Linda Affotey-Annan, Central Regional Head of NRSA, on her part, gave statistics of road crashes in the region, saying 26 lives were lost this year compared to 24 recorded in January and February last year.
Also, 315 people had been injured through 175 road crashes within the two-month period compared to 194 cases recorded at the same time last year in in130 crashes.
She advised passengers and drivers to stay safe this festive season and beyond.
Source: Ghana News Agency