Regional News of Thursday, 4 March 2021

Source: 3news.com

Accident deaths increased in January in Western Region

File photo: The fatality rate rose from 14 to 20 in the region File photo: The fatality rate rose from 14 to 20 in the region

Figures from the Western Region Office of the National Roads Safety Authority (NRSA) show that a total of twenty people lost their lives through road accidents in January alone in the region.

Last year 2020, the total number of deaths recorded in January was 14.

Thus, the total number of deaths increased by six cases this year in the month under review.

Out of the number of deaths recorded in January this year, 18 of them were males with the remaining two being females.

In the period under review, 57 commercial vehicles and 41 motorcycles were involved in the accidents.

However, there was a reduction in the number of private vehicles involved in accidents in January 2021 compared to the same period last year.

“Fifty-seven private vehicles had accidents in January this year as against the 72 recorded last year.”

Explaining further to Connect FM, Regional Director of the NRSA Nana Akua Asare said: “We have also recorded 31 serious cases of road accidents in 2021 as against 39 last year.”

“In total, 155 road accidents have been recorded in the month of January 2021 alone,” she added.

She revealed that their preliminary observations show that majority of the accidents recorded are largely “the fault of the drivers involved in the accidents”.

The Regional Director advised drivers and other road users to abide by the road safety rules when using the roads.

“We also want to caution and entreat drivers to exercise a bit of restraint when driving. In some cases, you will realize that if the driver had been patient a bit the accident would have been avoided.”