Accra, April 9, GNA - The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) is in the process of training volunteers in accident-prone areas on post-crash management to cut down on the deaths and disability. Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, Director, Planning and Programmes of NSRC, said this was because it had been found that improper and unprofessional handling of crash victims could further worsen their plight. Speaking at a sensitization forum organized by the Ghana Mental Health Association (GMHA) in collaboration with GPRTU and the NRSC, Mrs Obiri-Yeboah said government was also considering building trauma centres on major highways as a more efficient approach to dealing with emergencies on the road. The theme: "Mental Health and Road Crashes" was chosen to create awareness on psycho-social effects of crashes as well as its economic and cost implications on the individual, families and the nation as a whole.

Mrs Obiri-Yeboah said 1,600 people died annually in road crashes and over 1,000 sustained injuries, adding that, the cost of road crashes to the country was estimated at 165 million dollars. "Indeed it will be difficult to divorce mental health from road crashes as the resultant trauma, stress and distress suffered by the crash victims may have serious implications for mental stability." Mrs Obiri-Yeboah noted that road safety was a shared responsibility, "and we are counting on your support to achieve the vision of making our road transportation the safest in Africa". Dr Akwasi Osei, Chief Psychiatrist, Accra Psychiatric Hospital, called on the DVLA to include epilepsy test in addition to eye test before licensing any driver. He reiterated that 90 per cent of crashes were the result of human error and advised drivers in particular to stay away from drugs and alcohol.

The Rev. Godson Akpalu, President of GMHA, said actions of drivers on the road were important in ensuring safety. "With all the improvements made in our road safety assurance scheme, we expect drastic reduction in the number of accidents," he said, adding that the mental condition of drivers was therefore important.