Road crashes claimed 19 lives between October 2011 and March this year in the Nadowli District of the Upper West Region.

Lance Corporal Amidu Sidiki of the Ghana Police Service made this known during a road safety forum organised by the Regional office of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) for drivers, school children as well as members of the road safety committee in Nadowli.

Lance Corporal Sidiki who was speaking on behalf of the Nadowli District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police Joshua Armah, said these lives would not have been lost if the victims had observed the road safety regulations to the letter.

He said the police find it difficult to enforce road traffic regulations because some members of the public do not want to co-operate with them.

He called for proper co-operation between the police and the public to reduce road crashes.

He identified overloading, over speeding, unnecessary overtaking and lack of respect for other road users as some of the major causes of road crashes s in the district and urged drivers to desist from these acts to prevent unnecessary accidents.

Mr Abdul-Samad Mohammed, Regional Director of the NRSC said the road safety education campaigns formed part of efforts by the Commission to reduce the frequent road crashes on the road which would inadvertently minimise the number of lives lost every year.

He said similar education platforms would be carried out across the districts to keep the public especially drivers informed so that they would be careful when using the road.

Mr Mohammed said, children were included in the sensitisation programme in order to expose them to the dangers of the road and make them more conscious of what to do when using the facility.

He said the Commission now have alcohol sensors to test the alcohol level of drivers before allowing them to embark on journeys.

He advised motor riders to wear protective helmet to avoid serious head injuries in case of accident.

Vehicle drivers as well as motor riders should not also receive calls on their cell phones while driving or riding and also leave a reasonable distance between them and other vehicles ahead to avoid running into them in case of accident.

The Regional Road Safety Director reminded passengers of their rights and appealed to them to demand those rights from drivers to ensure their safety on the road.**