Koforidua (E/R), Jan. 13, GNA - A total of 245 people lost their lives through motor accidents in Eastern Regional in 2008 as against 215 in 2007, showing an increase of 30 deaths. The fatalities came from 1,642 cases of motor accidents recorded during the period with 1,465 persons sustaining various degrees of injuries.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Commander in charge of Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Police Superintendent J. Sarfo Peprah, said 86 out of the deaths was as a results of being knock-down in towns and villages by speeding drivers. He expressed worry about the high number of accidents cases and the deaths in the region and promised that his outfit would undertake series of educational training for road users this year to reduce the number. Supt. Peprah attributed the high cases to over speeding, wrong over-taking and drunkenness on the part of some drivers and cautioned that a lot of measures would be put in place to redress the situation. He said the general election activities also contributed to the rise in accident cases, because supporters of political parties' disregarded rules and regulations of the MTTU, to the extent that speed limits of 50 km per hour in towns and villages were not adhered to. Sup. Peprah cautioned that his outfit would not spare any driver who goes contrary to the law this time round.