The National Road Safety Commission will observe November 16-22nd as Road Safety Awareness Week (RSAW) to help increase the profile of road safety as a developmental concern with the theme ‘’Empowering the Passenger and pedestrian to demand road safety”.

Pedestrians and passengers represent the most vulnerable road users in Ghana. Together, they account for almost 67% of all road traffic deaths. 23% of road crash victims are occupants of public service buses (passengers) whereas 42% are pedestrians who get knocked down while crossing the road.

The focus for this year’s RSAW is on the vulnerability of the passenger and pedestrian and what they can do to help improve their circumstances.

Ing. Mrs. May Obiri-Yeboah Executive Director of the Commission says ‘’Pedestrians and Passengers are yet to assume their frontline roles as far as road safety improvement is concerned. While Passengers accommodate risky choices and conducts of transport operators and drivers without complaining, Pedestrians watch on as city authorities allow encroachment of the limited pedestrian walkways and facilities. This is about a call to speak up on what can kill you”

The weeklong event opens with the observation of Remembrance Sunday with a call on engineers to help kill speeds with engineering measures. There shall be a series of media sensitization on the expectation of the passenger and pedestrian throughout the week.

For the sixth consecutive year, we observe Wednesday November 19th as the National Public Transport Day with a focus on improving the quality of service of the Commercial Passenger Transport operations through a regulatory regime.

On Thursday November 20, we join the world to mark the International day for children with the launch of the new lollipop stand intended to make crossing safe for our children on sections of urbanized and school environments where children cross the road at the risk of knockdowns in Greater Accra, Eastern, Ashanti and Volta regions.

There shall be several engaging sessions of school-based quizzes and debates across the regions to help increase action for passenger and pedestrian safety issues.

Road traffic crashes and road safety remains a developmental issue with consequences for our health system, poverty and growth efforts, national image and tourism expectation among others. It has rendered several thousand orphans and widows though preventable if we can work together to advocate for some of the global best road use practices.

It is our expectation that with the support of the media and our stakeholders we can work together to raise our consciousness to avoid the actions and choices that kill us on our roads.

Thank you.

-SGD-

Kwame Koduah Atuahene, Esq. Head Communications