Chief Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, Eastern Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, has urged executive of the various transport unions to ensure a pre-departure test of drivers regularly at their lorry stations.

He said that would help reduce the high rate of road accidents in the region.

Mr Sarfo Peprah said this when the MTTU undertook a road safety sensitization exercise for drivers at the Koforidua main lorry park on Thursday.

He said the exercise was part of the road safety campaign designed to check the high rate of accidents in the region.

During the exercise a number of drivers, who were tested with breathalyser were found to have taken excessive alcohol while others did not have valid driving licenses.

The offending drivers were processed to appear before court next week Tuesday.

Mr Sarfo Peprah expressed worry that in spite of all the road safety campaigns, accidents continued to go up, adding that, drivers kept on violating road traffic regulations. He cautioned that anybody who would be caught for taking any form of alcohol would be dealt with according to the law.

Mr Sarfo Peprah said considering the number of road accident cases of 349 recorded in the Region within the first quarter of 2012 with 77 deaths as against 297 cases in 2011 in the same period with 75 deaths, more work needed to be done to bring the situation under control.

Mr Sarfo Peprah urged the unions to keep “eagle eyes” on their drivers who were in the habit of taking alcohol, which had been identified as one major cause of road accidents.**