Wa, Jan. 20, GNA - Despite campaigns to minimize motor accidents in the Upper East Region, 32 people lost their lives in the region last year as against 21 last year.

Out of 48 people who sustained injuries, 12 of them had conditions that were serious and were hospitalized for some time. Deputy Superintendent of Police John Ferguson Dzineku, the Regional Commander of the of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service, told the GNA in an interview that 87 vehicles were involved in 54 accidents in 2008.

In 2007, there were 59 accidents involving 82 vehicles with 22 serious injuries. He expressed worry that the number of fatal accidents shot up from 18 in 2007 to 29 last year and called on road users to cooperate with police to reverse the situation. He attributed the rise to lack of maintenance of vehicles and the non adherence to road traffic regulations by drivers, motor riders, cyclists and other road users.