No mercy for recalcitrant drivers this Easter- NSRA declares
The Acting Director-General, National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) David Osafo Adonteng, says any act of reckless driving will not be condoned this Easter.
He said road users, including high profile persons and celebrities who would breach the law would be made to face the full rigours of the law.
He issued the warning at the launch of “Stop Speeding” campaign which took place at the NSRA headquarters in Accra on Friday, March 22.
The “Stop Speeding” campaign is a mass media campaign organized to sensitize drivers on the need to follow speed limits to save lives in the upcoming Easter celebration.
It is being implemented by the NSRA in partnership with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiatives.
Explaining why the NSRA and its partners are issuing such warning to the public to abide by road traffic regulations, Mr Adonteng stated that though the year was young, available statistics show an increase in some road accident indicators.
According to him, in just two months, the country had recorded 2,260 accidents, involving 3,910 vehicles, 369 fatalities, 2,552 injuries, and 381 pedestrian knockdowns, an increase in what was recorded in the same months in the year 2023.
He said that in January and February 2023, the total number of road accidents recorded were 2,249, number of vehicles involved, 3,857, persons killed, 330, persons injured 2,502 , and pedestrian knockdowns, 382.
“This shows an increase of 0.49% for crashes, 1.37% for vehicles involved and 2.0% for persons injured. Notably, persons killed increased by 11.82% as compared to the first two months in 2023.” Mr Adonteng said.
Chief Supt. Alexander Obeng, Director, Research and Education, Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate, said that the Police would also deploy men across the country to ensure that people complied with traffic rules.
He, however, noted that there would be more Police presence at places where the Easter festivities would be massively celebrated, for instance Kwahu in the Eastern Region, than other places.
He assured Ghanaians of Police protection but also advised that people should be measured in their celebration.
