The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has attributed road traffic crashes in the Northern Region to the introduction and operation of tricycles, popularly known as “Motor king,” in the Tamale Metropolis.

Mr. Alexander Ayata, Regional Manager of the Commission told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Tamale on Tuesday that the use of tricycles to cart goods and in some cases passengers posed a great danger to road users in the Metropolis and this needed to be addressed.

“The tricycles, originally designed to carry light goods are now being used to convey passengers and these tricycles are operated by unprofessional riders, who don’t know road safety laws,” he said.

Mr. Ayata said the tricycles also obstructed free movement of vehicles, resulting in rampant accidents, claiming lives.

He said, “The danger is that these operators of the tricycles are minors and they don’t even respect traffic lights”.

Mr. Ayata said the NRSC recorded 17 motorbike and tricycle crashes in the second quarters of 2011 and 24 of such crashes in 2012.

He said apart from the motorbikes and tricycle crashes, heavy duty vehicle crashes were also on the ascendency in the Northern Region.

Mr. Ayata said though there was high level of road safety awareness among road users in the region, the public was not committed to adhering to road safety instructions.

He said, another dangerous trend was the practice whereby some motorists in the Metropolis rode motorbikes and bicycles without wearing crash helmets.

Mr. Ayata appealed to riders to use prescribed crash helmets instead of using inferior ones that could not protect them when they are involved in accidents.

"You may think you are deceiving the police or the public, but you are rather putting your own life in danger by not using the prescribed crash helmet," he said. Mr. Ayata said, as part of efforts towards reducing motorbike related crashes, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly has passed a bye-law to ensure forceful sale of crash helmets to offenders.

He said the Commission in collaboration with the Motor Traffic Transport Unit of the Ghana Polices Service, would start patrols to clampdown on owners of unregistered motorbikes and under age riders.

Mr. Ayata said the Commission would organise seminars to educate students on road safety regulations.

“We have planned to reach out to all the four tertiary institutions, 10 senior high schools and 32 basic schools and members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), on the need to adhere to road safety regulations,” he said.

He said the NRSC had also targeted to reach out to about 2,500 Muslim congregations in 11 communities, as well as 1,000 church congregations in the region.