Accra, April 1, GNA – A day’s planning meeting on strategic communication to improve road safety in Accra has ended with a call on road agencies to harmonise efforts to support this year’s mass media campaign to reduce road traffic injuries and deaths.
The meeting was organised by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) in Collaboration with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA).
Some of the issues discussed included data trends in speeding in Accra as a major risk factor, road safety activities and interventions by various road agencies as well as mass media campaigns.
Mr Osei Kufuor, the Programmes Coordinator of BIGRS said the strategy was to use advocacy, training, and monitoring to implement proven interventions on drinking and driving prevention, speed reduction, helmet use, seat-belts use, infrastructure improvement, and sustainable urban transport.
He said BIGRS in collaboration with the AMA and NRSA was reviewing legislation and providing recommendations to strengthen road safety laws to meet international best practices, while supporting public and non-profit efforts to implement effective road safety laws through funding and technical assistance.
Ms Mavis Obeng-Mensah, the Communication Officer of BIGRS said the BIGRS focused on speed management because it was a major cause of road traffic injury and deaths, adding that speed influenced the risk of road crashes as well as the severity of consequences resulting from the collision.
She said the meeting sought to aid stakeholders to unify individual concepts and road safety activities in various agencies and consolidate them for this year’s mass media campaign.
Mr Ebenezer Kofi Baidoo, Road Injury Surveillance Coordinator of BIGRS in a presentation, said in 2020, the number of reported road traffic crashes in Accra was 1,774, and that out of the number, reported deaths were 136, with pedestrians and motorcyclists recording 56 per cent and 28 per cent of fatalities respectively.
He pointed out that males accounted for 88 per cent of deaths in 2020, stressing that nine out of every 10 deaths were recorded among males.
Mr Baidoo noted that even though speeding remained the highest risk factor, distracted driving emerged as one of the suspected causes contributing to road crashes in the city.
“A study by World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that a driver using a mobile phone is four times more likely to be involved in a crash. For vehicles speeding beyond the posted limit, motorcycles recorded the highest level with 62 per cent, followed by SUV/pickups, which recorded 47 per cent.
“Apenkwa interchange to Dimples roundabout emerged as the corridor with the highest number of traffic fatalities. Lapaz intersection, Kwashieman intersection and Kawukudi intersection showed up as high-risk fatal crash point locations.
“These locations can inform road safety interventions geared at reducing road traffic crashes, deaths and injuries in the city,” he stated.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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