Accra: The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) plans to intensify the use of digital content, including animations, skits, and social media influencers, to deepen road safety awareness, especially among young people.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Henry Asomani, the Deputy Director of Planning and Programmes at NRSA, emphasized that the shift to digital was necessary due to the limited success of traditional outreach methods in reaching the youth, who predominantly occupy digital spaces. He noted that the digital approach would not replace traditional methods but would complement and enhance existing strategies.
Mr. Asomani outlined that the Authority intends to deploy short animations, viral skits, and collaborations with popular personalities to promote safe road use. He mentioned that digital content has the power to reach a wide audience quickly, making it an effective tool for spreading road safety messages.
Funding was identified as a significant constraint in improving road safety nationwide. Mr. Asomani highlighted the need for investment in infrastructure such as pedestrian footbridges, road signage, and protective barriers, which are often neglected due to inadequate funding. He also pointed out the dangers posed by Ghana's predominantly single-carriage highways, using the Suhum-Teacher Mante stretch as an example of how dualisation can eliminate crash-prone areas.
The NRSA strongly supports the government's 'Big Push' infrastructure agenda, emphasizing that the expansion and dualisation of highways would greatly enhance road safety. Human behavior, accounting for a significant portion of road crashes, underscores the need for sustained behavior change campaigns.
Mr. Asomani commended the Ghana Police Service for introducing technology-driven enforcement systems, which include traffic monitoring cameras aimed at reducing speeding and eliminating human interference during enforcement. He also acknowledged efforts by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) in improving driver training content and public sensitization.
The NRSA has rolled out several campaigns in recent years, including passenger-focused speaker campaigns and the 'Stay Alive' media campaign. This year, the Authority plans to embark on an intensified road safety visibility campaign to bring road safety education to the forefront of public consciousness in Ghana.