By: Pneuman Ametorxé| ignewss.com |Ho
While the rates of accidents in the country have reduced this year nationally, the rate of accidents in the Volta Region is rather on the rise.
According to the National Ghana Road Safety Authority, this year alone there have been 316 road crashes in the region involving 490 vehicles causing 49 deaths, 290 injuries and 76 pedestrian knock downs.
What is more interesting is that about 50 percentage of most of these crashes happened in Ho the Volta Regional Capital.
At a stakeholders engagement organized by the Ghana Road Safety Authority on Wednesday November 1, 2023 involving all transport unions, the DVLA, the National Highway Authority, the Police and other security services, the clergy, National Insurance Authority, financial institutions and the media, the Director of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), Mr Augustus Awity, who represented the Region lamented that the situation is alarming and “we are not safe” as the rate of accidents in the region especially in the capital puts everyone at the risk of becoming a victim of road crashes at any moment and all stakeholders and individual must rise up to do something about it.
Road accidents breeds financial lost to the state, organizations, families and individuals coupled with loss of properties, and interestingly 95% accidents are caused by human behaviours and are avoidable.
According to the DVLA, the main cause of accidents in the region is over speeding coupled with fatigue driving, drink driving and use of substances like weed among drivers in the region.
Some of the opinions shared by parties represented at the engagement to tackle the situation in the region includes addressing the issue of driving by unlicensed minors in town and the region as well, fixing bad roads, installation of speed ramps on the newly constructed portion of Ho/Sokode road, arresting traffic rules offenders and increasing police presence in town and the region at large especially on market days.
A committee made up of representatives of the different groups was created at end of the engagement to further look into the deliberations and suggestions raised that will meet on Tuesday November 7, 2023, to develop a proposal and action plan to tackle the issue.