From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi.
A total of 177 passengers were killed through vehicular accidents in the Ashanti Region between January and September, this year.
As many as 936 others also sustained various degrees of injury in the region during the same period.
Some of the injured were maimed, making it impossible for them to make any meaningful contributions towards sustainable socio-economic development of the country.
The Ashanti Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) Police Commander, Assistant Superintend of Police (ASP) Mr Abraham Bansah, who disclosed this to The Mirror in an interview, explained that while 75 passengers were killed between January and March in the region this year, 59 died through motor accidents between April and June.
He said between July and September, 43 passengers were also killed in the region through vehicular accidents.
Mr Bansah said as many as 1,638 vehicles were also involved in accidents in the Ashanti Region between January and September this year, explaining that between January and March, 576 vehicles were involved in accidents, with 591 also being involved in accidents between April and June.
He said between July and September, 471 vehicles were involved in accidents in the region.
Mr Bansah pointed out that while some of the vehicles were slightly damaged, others were mangled beyond repairs, creating serious economic handicaps for their owners and dependants.
Expressing concern about the spate of accidents in the region and their socio-economic consequences, Mr Bansah said the police had always collaborated with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Road Safety Commission and executives of transport unions throughout the region to educate drivers on the need to respect road safety regulations to curb the menace of carnage on the highways.
According to Mr Bansah, wrong overtaking, overloading of vehicles, lack of maintenance culture among some motorists, as well as over speeding and drunk driving among others, are some of the causes of vehicular accidents in the region.
He said in their desire to increase revenue generation as Christmas approaches, some motorists would attempt to flout road safety regulations “ so the Police MTTU has devised means to check deviant drivers. We will not only arrest them, but will also prosecute them as soon as they are arrested to deter others”.
The MTTU regional boss said the police had a number of devices to check drunk drivers warning that “ drivers found to be drunk would be arrested and prosecuted as soon as they are arrested. This is because we will not allow them to put their lives and other road users at risk on the highway”.
Mr Bansah said the “police will also make good use of our radar guns to check those who drive beyond the recognised speed limit, both at residential areas and on the highways”.
He explained that investigations had proved that speeding and wrong overtaking had been the major contributory factors that cause accidents, leading to the loss of precious lives and the destruction of property.
According to him radar guns would be mounted at vantage points on all the highways in the region to arrest and prosecute reckless drivers.
He said motorists who do not have the required driving licence, those who use worn-out tyres or have defective brakes as well as those who load beyond the recognised height, among others, would be arrested and prosecuted immediately.
Mr Bansah said motor riders who failed to use helmets would also not be spared when arrested.
He, therefore, charged motorists to be circumspect on the road by respecting road safety regulations to make travelling more comfortable and enjoyable as Christmas approaches.
No comments:
Post a Comment