Accra, May 20th, GNA - The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) yesterday introduced two road safety devices to reduce motor accidents in the night.

The devices include a reflective fitting tape designed to make vehicles more visible at night and electronic dual purpose advance warning triangles to give warning to other motorists in situations where vehicles develop mechanical faults on the road. Explaining the importance of the devices, Mr Noble Appiah, Executive Director of NRSC said that about 20 per cent of reported motor accidents occurred during the night due to low visibility and added that the devices would significantly reduce the sad trend. Demonstrating how the devices work to newsmen in Accra, Mr David Osafo Adonteng, Director of Research Monitoring and Evaluation at the NRSC said the reflective tape had the embossment of both logos of NRSC and DVLA as a security feature to check imitation. He explained that in addition, the dual purpose advance warning triangles had the embossment of both logos and the registration number of the said vehicle to check theft.

When launched, motorists would be expected to fit the reflective tape at the front, sides, and rear of their vehicles and the battery-powered dual purpose triangle at a distance not less than 45 metres from both the front and rear of their vehicles. Mr Kwame Attuahene, Information Manager of NRSC told newsmen prices for the devices had not been fixed yet but said "I don't think it is that expensive considering the many lives it is going to protect," adding that money spent on ensuring safety on the roads was worth investing.

"We cannot place premium on the precious lives of people," he said adding "we will therefore not waive quality of standards we want to inject into this project."

Mr Cheyuo Wienaa Musah, Director for Driver Training, Testing and Licensing, DVLA, said he hoped the device would address the spate of road accident that occurred mostly in the night.

He called on all stakeholders, drivers, the security forces, media as well as the public to support the project. Mr Alhassan Tahiru, a driver at the State Transport Corporation praised the management of NRSC and the DVLA for the project. He recalled a near-fatal incident where he nearly bumped into an articulated truck loaded with timber one rainy night on the Kumasi-Accra road a month ago because neither the truck nor the logs were covered with reflective devices.

"It was only God who saved me and all those on board," he said, and asked the media to send the message across to all stakeholders. The safety devices which are expected to be launched soon would be sold to the public throughout DVLA outlets in the country.