4500 Die in Road Accidents

The Greater Accra Deputy Regional Minister, Madam Elizabeth K.T. Sackey has revealed that close to 4,500 people died through road traffic accidents in two years.

These shocking statistics according to her, has been made available by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.

2,198 people died through vehicular accidents in 2016 while 2,076 perished in 2017, the MTTD data showed.

Speaking at the National All Driver’s Prayer Summit, held in Accra Yesterday, Madam Sackey said, the frightening statistics may see an upsurge if urgent measures are not taken to fight the menace.

In suggesting pragmatic steps to ensure safety on our roads, the deputy minister urged managers of various transport unions to appoint inspectors at bus terminals whose sole responsibility would be to ascertain the safety of vehicles before they leave the stations.

“They should conduct basic checks on drivers and vehicles at the various lorry stations to ascertain the alertness of drivers and conditions of their vehicles prior to taking off,” she advised.

Meanwhile, the Board Chairman for the Ghana Road Safety Commission (GRSC), Rev. Ismaila Hansmittson Awudu, noted that there was more to road safety than provision of good roads, laws on road traffic and road worthy vehicles.

“You can have all these things but if God does not watch over Ghana, whatever we are doing would be in vain…the thing is not about regulations but also about attitudes and attitudes are best corrected by God,” he said.

Rev Awudu therefore called on well-meaning Ghanaians to invest their time in praying for safety on the roads.

“You can meet people who are driving and the police stops them and they don’t know where they are. It is not that they don’t know how to drive but something is controlling them…Lets carry the prayer to our prayer chambers,” the chairman admonished.

National All Driver’s Prayer Summit

The summit has been in existence for eight years and according to the Convener, Rev Cyril Crabbe their aim is to have a spiritual front dedicated to road safety in Ghana.

“we are gathered here to pray against road carnages, bad attitudes on roads and highways as well as intolerance and unadherence to road regulation,” he said.

The event according to Rev Crabbe is also to create the awareness for accident victims to be supported.

The event which was in collaboration with the GRSC and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), was anchored on the theme, “Deliver Us From All Evil On Our Roads And Highways”.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]