Koforidua, July 14, GNA - Despite consistent yearly reduction in road traffic accidents in the Eastern Region, between 2005 and 2010, the region remains the third accident prone area in the country due.

This was disclosed by Mr Kwame Koduah Atuahene, Acting Eastern Regional Manager of the National Road Safety Commission, at a press conference in Koforidua, on Wednesday.

He said this year, fatal accidents cases dropped by nine per cent, between the first and the end of the second quarter, and the number of people killed through road accidents dropped by 25 per cent, from 75 in the first quarter to 56 by the end of the second quarter.

Mr Atuahene said six municipalities and districts in the region were identified as the worse accident prone areas, accounting for 66 per cent of all road traffic accidents in the region.

He mentioned the districts and municipalities as East Akim, Akuapem South, Birim South, Kwahu South, Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar and Manya Krobo.

He said for the rest of the year, the commission would be focusing on a number of measures aimed at reducing pedestrian casualties in the region by five per cent of the 2010 figures.

Mr Atuahene said the activities would also ensure that accidents by public commercial transports were reduced by five per cent of the 2010 figures and also reduce work zones accident cases by the same margin.

He said the measures would also help improve upon crash care and ensure rapid response to all road hazards and accidents in the region.

The Acting Regional Manager said between this year and 2013, under the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS), the region would focus on speed management, where institutions involved in road construction would work on improving road markings; signage and institute speed calming measures, including the construction of speed ramps and installation of guard rails.

Other measures include focusing on random checks on major roads to enforce compliance with posted speed limits to compliment the deployment of speed cameras on some of the roads in the region.