Nana Akua Ansaah, the Western Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), says the Authority is embarking on community education to sensitize the public on road safety to save lives.

She said the community education would be followed by enforcement of the laws.

She called on the Highways Authority (GHA), Feeder and Urban Roads Departments to maintain the roads to make them accident-free.

According to her, the half-year accident statistics in the region showed that there was an increase in pedestrian knockdowns while road fatalities saw a decline.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the Director urged stakeholders to be diligent in their operations as the country prepares for the general elections and Christmas, which often see a lot of travels.

She urged the public to call the fire service instead of the police when there was an accident as they have the equipment to save victims. She noted that the National Road Safety Authority, unlike in the past, had the powers to impose sanctions on motor traffic offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.

Chief Superintendent Richard Appiah, Western Regional Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, called on the public to join the fight against road accidents by reporting drivers who flout the road safety regulations.

He mentioned fatigue driving, drunk driving, poor road maintenance, speeding, overloading, overtaking, wrongful parking, lack of maintenance of vehicles and making phone calls while driving, among others as factors that caused carnage on the roads.

He asked drivers to take at least twenty minutes rest after every three to four hours drive to avoid tired or fatigued driving, which he noted is a major cause of accidents on the roads.

Chief Supt Appiah expressed concern about overtaking, especially at curves, lack of vehicle maintenance, especially the suspension system and faulty windscreen wipers which leave the windscreen blurred when it rains, making it difficult for the drivers to see their way through properly.