Two hundred and six road crashes resulting in 56 deaths and 312 persons injured were recorded in the Brong Ahafo Region during the second quarter of this year.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Paul Wesley Baah, Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Union (MTTU) who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, said 42 of the dead were males and 14 females.

He said 251 vehicles and 42 motor bikes were involved in the accidents, with 162 of the vehicles being commercial and 89 private.

ASP Baah expressed concern about the number of pedestrians knocked down in the region as 23 of the dead were knocked down by vehicles and motor bikes.

The MTTU commander advised pedestrians to be very careful when crossing the road to avoid being killed by oncoming vehicles. He entreated drivers to obey the speed limit, especially at human settlements areas.

ASP Baah asked parents to educate their children on the proper way of crossing the road “by taking a critical look at the left and right sides to ensure the road is safe to cross”.

Drivers who disobeyed road regulations would not be spared and would be dealt with according to the law, he warned.

The MTTU commander disclosed that 222 drivers were arrested during the period under review for reckless driving, over speeding, overloading, driving without license and other traffic offences.

Out of the number, he said, 127 were prosecuted in court and 63 of them sentenced to pay a total fine of GH?13,140.00 cedis.

ASP Baah said 26 of the cases were still under investigations whilst 69 of the drivers were served with warning letters to be of good behavior on the charge of prohibition parking and causing danger to other road users.

He advised drivers to be guided by road safety regulations so they could go about their work peacefully without any interference and without putting the lives of passengers and pedestrians at risk.

On the use of mobile phones by drivers whilst driving, the MTTU commander stated that “mobile phones took all the attention of the driver from the road and that this had on several occasions resulted in a number of accidents.

ASP Baah advised drivers to either park by the road side to receive calls or to refuse to respond to calls whilst driving to avoid endangering other people’s lives.**