From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
VEHICULAR accidents claimed the lives of 132 passengers and pedestrians in the Ashanti Region between January and June this year, as against 134, during the same period last year.
The number of passengers and pedestrians numbering 1018 who suffered various degrees of injuries this year through vehicular accidents during the period under review, were not able to make any meaningful contributions towards sustainable socio-economic developmen.
Last year, the number of victims were 606.
The Ashanti Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) Police Commander , Deputy Superintendent of Police, Godact Dodzi Hlordzi, who briefed The Mirror about the spate of accidents in the region, said between January and June last year, a total of 1,138 vehicles including 60 motor bikes, were involved in accidents.
He said during the same period last year, 1163 vehicles were involved in accidents, saying, most of the vehicles were damaged beyond repairs.
Expressing concern about the spate of accidents in the Ashanti Region and their ramifications on the socio-economic development of the country, Mr Hlordzi said compared to last year, the successes of road safety campaigns weremaking an impact.
“Road safety has not improved in the region because it was just a difference of two people when we compared the number of people who perished through road accidents during the period under review, " he explained.
He assured that more policemen would be placed at vantage points on the highways to check drivers who flout road traffic regulations.
He said posting more men on the road network in the region would make it possible for them to monitor the behaviour of drivers and apprehend those who have acquired the habit of flouting road traffic regulations.
This, he said, would bring sanity on the highways, and protect law abiding drivers and passengers.
He mentioned over-speeding, wrongful overtaking, drunk driving and overloading of vehicles among others as some of the offences that the police would check to bring the culprits to book.
He pointed out that the MTTU, in collaboration with the Road Safety Commission has carried out sufficient road safety education and campaigns over the period with the view of sensitising drivers to be more professional on the road.
“We are going to intensify our education on road safety, but we will also not spare those who flout the laws, “ he assured.
DSP Hlordzi said most of the fatal accidents in the region occurred during the weekends, and attributed them to drunk driving, especially during funeral period.
“ We are going to be very strict during the weekends by not only arresting drunk drivers, but also prosecute them to serve as deterrent to potential drunk drivers,” he warned.
He also warned drivers who overload their vehicles when they are hired by bereaved families during funerals that they risked being arrested and prosecuted “ because attending funerals have nothing to do with overloading of passengers on vehicles”.
No comments:
Post a Comment