Takoradi, July 6, GNA - The Western Regional Office of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), has embarked on a programme to educate school children on how to use roads, to prevent accidents.

Alhaji Mohammed Sumani Mbo, the Regional Manager of the Commission, announced at a stakeholders meeting at Takoradi on Wednesday.

He said so far, about 10,000 school children and 332 teachers in 27 schools had benefitted from the programme, from January to June this year.

Alhaji Mbo said the school education programme was the result of a report of a study, which indicated a bad road situation for vulnerable groups, including children from 2005 to 2009.

He said according to the report, child fatality, as a result of traffic accident, has increased by 25 per cent.

Alhaji Mbo said the stepping up of visits to schools were necessary to help address the problem.

The Regional Manager said the Commission was involved in public education through the media, at lorry parks, Churches and Mosques. He spoke about the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action for Road Safety and the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS)111.

Alhaji Mob said the strategy is to help meet the UN's target of reducing accidents by 50 per cent by 2020.

He said NRSC is working to reduce deaths and injuries from accidents by 10,000 and 70,000 respectively by 2020.

Alhaji Mob said NRSS is based on six pillars, which are, to improve road safety, enforcement, post accident response as well as how to influence behavior of road users and how to come by safer vehicles.

Mr Ransford Moses Ninson, Regional Police Commander, said some 442 accident cases were reported in the first half of the year, as against 447 cases last year.

He said 103 persons died from accidents during the period this year, as against 96 persons in 2010, whilst 518 sustained injuries in road accidents in the first half of the year as against 576 cases in 2010.

He advised driver unions to assist to ensure that drivers stay away from alcohol before going on the road.

Mr Ninson said the sale of alcohol at and near lorry parks was a contributory factor to drunkenness among drivers.

He urged the unions to assist in educating the drivers on defensive driving.

Mr Ninson asked road engineers to help to construct safe roads. He said the presence of the Police at barriers and check points is not to collect bribes but rather to prevent crimes.

Mr Daniel Dzakah, Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit, said there were too many curves on the road network in the region.

He said some sections of roads were too narrow to accommodate big trucks while others do not have good markings.