I am scared of my own driving!
Anybody close by who heard my sudden uproariously laughter during my morning walk on Wednesday, August 20, 2024 would have wondered if I was alright, and what had rocketed me into space making me laugh “by heart!”
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The news item on radio I was listening to which triggered the laughter was that, two young men in an Accra Circuit Court the previous day, while admitting to stealing goats at Teshie Camp 2, strongly opposed/denied the claim by the goat owner that the stolen goats were of German nationality (and therefore Europeans!)
The accused contended that the goats they stole were full-blooded Ghanaian (African) goats, and had no link to Germany as their country of origin. They were therefore not guilty of having stolen German goats, or indeed any foreign goat, as the goat owner claimed.
Overtaking
What did not amuse me later that morning was an incident while on my way to Burma Camp from Teshie, the “crime scene” of the alleged German goat theft.
Opposite the Labadi Beach Hotel, I was taken aback when I was overtaken on my right by a speeding vehicle. How the driver managed not to have grazed my side considering there was literally no space, was a source of amazement to me. At a traffic light en route to Burma Camp, I caught up with the offending driver.
My annoyance at his previous misconduct worsened when I saw the inscription at the back of the saloon car which read, “I am scared of my own driving.” Scared of his own driving? I found it incredulous that, such a car could be driven around with no respect for the police/law.
This incident reminded me of a recent report by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA). Before that, an article I wrote in the Daily Graphic and Peace FM in September 2021 on Road Safety is quoted below.
September 202
QUOTE
“Over the last weekend of August 2021, I had a feel of what those who live around Prampram, Dawhenya and Tema Community-25 experience daily commuting the short distance between the Tema-Motorway-Interchange and Prampram-Junction.
The one hour it took me to cover the 18km stretch both ways on my outbound trip to Keta on Friday, and on my return to Accra on Monday, was considered very good by frequent travellers on that route. It takes two hours at times, they said.
On one occasion, it took my “Manager” (Mrs Frimpong) three hours from Prampram-Junction to the Motorway-Interchange on her way back home from a funeral.
The question is, why should it take over an hour to travel 18km? Indiscipline!
Indiscipline
The French philosopher Voltaire said, “Man is rational in that he can think, not in that, he thinks.” Drivers dangerously crisscrossing/zigzagging their way for advantage on that 18km Motorway Interchange – Prampram-Junction stretch, and creating gridlocks lends credence to Voltaire’s assertion.
The two choke points are the crossroads at the Kpone-Junction/Kpone-Barrier and the Prampram-Junction.
Here, all known norms of human decency, respect and commonsense are thrown overboard. Animalistic aggressiveness takes over with four or more lanes created as road shoulders are converted into roads.
I am told the only time order prevails is when the police are there. Elsewhere in other jurisdictions, traffic flows without the police always directly intervening. So, what is wrong with us?
Traffic lights
The question is, why have traffic lights not been installed at this important Kpone-Barrier crossroads all these years? Obviously the police cannot be there all the time to control human indiscipline.
With Accra expanding eastwards to Prampram and beyond, for how long should we depend on the police to check our indiscipline?
In any case, the road heading east from the Motorway-Aflao-Togo is part of the Trans-West-African-Highway! So, why do we blatantly advertise indiscipline to foreigners?
Incidentally, the situation is no better west of Accra from Kasoa to Winneba! John Dryden, the first English poet-laureate appointed in 1668 by King Charles II after Oliver Cromwell executed his father King Charles 1 in 1648 said,
“But far numerous was the herd of such, who think too little, who talk too much!”
Is ours a case of too much talking, and too little thinking/doing, as Dryden said? Some sardonically call it “NATO,” (No Action, Talk Only). Otherwise how come anytime there is a major accident as occurred at Dompoase, Komenda-Junction with 35 deaths in January 2020, state officials troop there, and make promises to “dualise” all trunk roads in Ghana (like the Motorway in 1965), only to wait for another accident to make the same pronouncement?
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The fact is that, our single-lane “face-me, I-face-you” trunk-roads are outmoded and contribute immensely to RTAs.
As far back as 1965, the Accra-Tema-Motorway was built by President Nkrumah as a prototype to be replicated initially for the “Golden Triangle” of Accra, Kumasi and Sekondi-Takoradi. After over fifty years use with little maintenance, it is now a death trap.
UNQUOTE
The mid-year report published by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) stated that between January and June 2024, there were 6653 accidents reported mainly attributable to driver indiscipline. There were 8798 casualties comprising 1237 deaths and 7561 injuries.
In August 2021, two MPs were involved in road-traffic-accidents. Showing no sympathy whatsoever, some Ghanaians angrily stated rather uncharitably that, it was a travesty of justice that they survived, considering how little they in authority care about the thousands of Ghanaians who die annually in RTAs.
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No wonder Ghanaians are disappointed with uncaring authorities! Remember John Dryden’s quote, “beware the fury of a patient man!”
Summary
While drivers must drive with commonsense considering our terrible roads and non-functioning traffic lights, where is the NRSA in the light of the carnage on our roads?
Remember the saying “a stitch in time saves nine!” The Police must also enforce road traffic regulations without fear or favour. Finally, insurance companies must not insure vehicles with inscriptions like, “I am scared of my own driving!”
Leadership, lead by example! Followers, wake up!
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The writer is former CEO of African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya/Council Chair Family Health University College, Accra.
E-mail: dkfrimpong@yahoo.com