241 Schoolchildren killed in road crashes

Two hundred and forty-one schoolchildren were killed in road crashes from January to September 2017, the Director for Research at the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Mr Martin Afram, has said.

The number represents a 11.7 per cent reduction compared to the same period last year when 273 children were killed.

The children, who were either knocked down or died in road crashes, were among 1,534 road deaths recorded between January and September this year.

The statistics indicate that while 141 of the children who perished were males, 100 were females.

Mr Afram disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic after OmniBank had donated 25 pairs of crossing stands with wooden signage valued at GH¢50,000 to the NRSC in Accra last Friday.

Road traffic fatalities by age

He said 402 out of the 2,198 traffic fatalities reported in 2016 involved children less than 18 years.

He added that pedestrian knockdowns were responsible for deaths resulting from road crashes.

He said the World Bank was currently providing support for a nationwide lollipop project designed to reduce vehicular knockdowns and road crashes.

Presenting the items to the NRSC, the Managing Director of OmniBank, Mr Philip Oti-Mensah, said the donation was intended to ensure child pedestrian safety as part of efforts by the bank to reduce inner city accidents.

Significance

He said the move was to ensure that commercial drivers obeyed motor and traffic regulations to prevent carnage on the roads.

“Every year we donate to the NRSC to make sure that children are safe on our roads,” he added.

Mr Oti-Mensah said although accidents involving children had reduced, children must be educated on how to use the crossing stands placed in front of their schools.

He said there were plans for the bank to work in partnership with the NRSC to train taxi and commercial drivers in the inner cities to reduce and avoid road crashes.

“Generally, we want to reduce the number of accidents on our roads, but in particular we are interested in inner city accidents which are avoidable,” he added.

Appreciation

Receiving the donation, the Executive Director of the NRSC, Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, expressed concern over the way schoolchildren, in their bid to cross the roads, were knocked down by speeding vehicles.

She cautioned drivers against speeding and unnecessary overtaking, especially with the approach of the Christmas season, to reduce road crashes.

She thanked OmniBank for its efforts and urged other philanthropists and NGOs to emulate the bank’s example.