A/R: 224 die from road crashes in first half of 2020

The Ashanti Region has recorded 224 deaths with 1,728 injuries in road crashes in the first half of 2020.

This, according to the National Road Safety Authority is the highest statistic recorded in the period.

Statistics from the Ashanti Regional Police Command also show that a minimum of eight road accidents is recorded every day with one person dying and eleven persons sustaining injuries.

This was disclosed at a two-day capacity building for officers from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service on the new National Road Safety Authority ACT 933 of 2019 in the Ashanti Region.

The Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority, Engineer May Obiri-Yeboah called for effective stakeholder collaboration to stop road crashes in the country.

“I am also very happy that this capacity building is taking place in the Ashanti Region where the first half of 2020 saw the region record 224 deaths and 1728 injuries. This was the highest for the period and we must master all resources and strength we can to reverse the trend.”

“Road traffic casualties remain a public health problem at all levels and while steps have been taken over the years to improve the situation, much still needs to be done if the rising trend in road traffic is to be halted or reversed. This, therefore, calls for a collective effort with all hands on board to ensure that we improve the safety in our dear nation.”

The Director-General of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service, COP Beatrice Zakpa Vib-Zanziri charged the officers to be professional in the discharge of their duties.

“It is also my hope that this training will provide the necessary skills and knowledge and remind you of certain things you might have forgotten about so that we can all together achieve the objective of this campaign. The police administration is firmly behind you in this campaign to reduce the carnage on our roads.”

Contrary to statistics from the Ashanti Region, road crashes in the Greater Accra Region reduced in the first four months of 2020 compared to the same period last year.

The reduction was attributed to the COVID-19 restrictions, including the three-week lockdown of Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi in Ashanti Region and Kasoa in the Central Region between March and April.

Source: citinewsroom