Drivers need new attitudes on our roads

It is said that about 80 per cent of accidents are caused by human error. In other words, few accidents occur because of mechanical problems.

Experts even think that some of the accidents caused by mechanical challenges such as brake failures and tyre burst can be avoided if the drivers follow strict maintenance regimes.

Last Wednesday, a bus of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Company was involved in an accident at Kintampo claiming 61 lives. Survivors on the bus said the driver ignored brake problems with the excuse that he could manage the problem to his destination in Bolgatanga.

Swearing in the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr John Kudalor, yesterday, President John Mahama attributed many of the accidents in the country to driver error and technical faults with vehicles.

“Maintenance of vehicles these days leaves much to be desired,” he stated.

Commenting on the latest accident, the President said, “I know you are still investigating but there are all kinds of rumours which include brake failure and all that.”

Since the accident at Kintampo and other bizarre deaths elsewhere, a section of the populace has become paranoid and attributed such tragedies to the fact that we as a people have turned our back on God.

There is the hand of God in our everyday lives, especially in a Christian-dominated society such as ours, but God helps those who help themselves.

Also, some commentators, and even drivers, have attributed the accidents to bad roads in the country but the statistics on the ground do not support such an assertion.

The Kintampo-Tamale stretch of the road on which the accident occurred cannot be said to be in a deplorable state.

The George Bush Highway, after its inauguration to date, has claimed many lives not because the road is bad but simply the result of the recklessness of our drivers.

Indeed, we must leave the spiritual realms immediately and face the realities of our times by fixing the challenges that tend to retard our progress.

As the government takes steps to improve our road network, it also behoves the motoring public to observe and respect road traffic regulations.

The indiscipline on our roads has turned our highways into death traps.

We cannot accept the carnage on our roads, as it has instilled fear in the motoring public who expect their journeys to and from their destinations to be pleasurable experiences.

It is against this background that the Daily Graphic calls on the police, the National Road Safety Commission, the transport operators, commuters and pedestrians to collaborate more effectively to deal with the carnage on our roads.

We know that the police and the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) have moved away from the annual ritual of educating  motorists on road safety during Xmas and to a lesser extent at Easter.

Road safety education should be part of our daily endeavours especially for drivers to understand and respect the road signs and maintain their vehicles regularly.

We should also look at the kind of training that is offered at the driving schools and the licensing of drivers and vehicles to ensure that those who elect to take charge of the transport industry respect the sanctity of life.

Accidents are bound to happen and, for this reason, the country’s emergency and human relief programmes must be overhauled so that victims of disaster will no longer be transported in buckets of trucks.

We should put our priorities right and retool critical sectors of our national life to protect life and property.

The Daily Graphic thinks a holistic approach to dealing with the indiscipline on our roads is an imperative now but drivers, the police and passengers should no longer condone or be engaged in activities on our roads that put lives at risk.