Correspondence from Upper East Region

A total of 31 road crashes were recorded during the period of the third quarter; from July to September 2023.

The crashes involved 57 vehicles of all categories consisting of private cars, commercial cars, motorbikes, and tricycles.

Tricycles involved in the crashes were 7 constituting 24%, motorbikes 21 representing 72%, and bicycles, representing 4%.

Looking at death by sex, 15 males died and 0 for females.

With death by age, it was nil for those below 18 years and 15 for those above 18.

Comparing these figures, the third quarter of 2022, there has been an increment.

Last year's cases were 25, but this year 31. Vehicles involved last year were 40, and 57 this year.

The persons killed last year were 13 and 15 persons were injured. Persons injured this year are 35.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb's Sarah Dubure, the Assistant Planning Manager of the Road Safety Authority in the Upper East Region, Mr Benewel Antwi Dauda, attributed the development to several factors.

These factors include drunk driving, careless riding, wrongful speeding, overtaking, underaged riding, riding without mirrors, and riders riding on pedestrian walkways.

He pointed out that drunk driving was a key contributor to the crashes in the region.

According to him, this throws road users into a situation where obeying rules becomes a mirage.

"There is too much drunk driving in this region. In fact, most of the guys just go to the bar, have one or two bottles from there; they will jump onto the road whereby they don't obey most of the rules," he indicated.

Mr. Antwi also underlined the situation of people riding without helmets as another key factor.

He cautioned that the head is a delicate part of the body that should be protected when riding.

"So when they hit the ground, their head will go. You know we always say the head is like watermelon, so no matter how it is when it hits the ground it will break," he warned.

He noted that the hotspots for the accidents are mostly intersections where road users, in a bid to join the main roads, collide with others.

According to him, they do not take time to watch before joining the road. An action, which always ends badly.

He therefore urged riders to always be vigilant and watch carefully before joining a major road.

"So l will urge the riders that before you join a major road, you have to stop and make sure the road is very clear for you to go," he advised.

"Don't just jump in because as you are jumping, bear in mind that the one who is on the road coming will be coming at top speed because he knows that the road is for him at that moment," he added.

He also urged road users to ensure that they communicate rightly, when it comes to the use of trafigators, to curb accidents.

"And also, before you join the road, make sure you show the proper indicator and at the end of joining, you have to off your indicator," he counselled.

"We see people going right and showing left indicators. So that one, the one at your back will be confused, l will entreat that all these things should stop in the region," he added.

He emphasized the importance of mirrors for riders and drivers, as it helps them to see what goes on behind them and avoid impending danger.

"As a rider or driver, at least you have to look through your mirrors to see what is going on at your back, so when someone is coming to hit you, you can dodge."

He sadly revealed that most road users remove their riding mirrors, as they consider their use as outmoded.

"But they remove everything and they say when you use the riding mirrors you are a local person or so," he complained.

He notes that their outfit was doing its best concerning public education on road safety measures, yet the accidents kept going up.

"In fact, road safety, we are doing our best. Currently, as I'm speaking, a lot of programmes are going on in churches, schools, mosques, and terminals. Always, we do go, but they are not trying to obey," he lamented.

He pointed out that they are working on a system that will track road traffic offenders.