Campaign on best road safety practices launched
A public awareness road safety campaign has been launched in Accra to advocate best road safety practices among both drivers and pedestrians.
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Dubbed the “Ride Safe” rally, the 30-day campaign will reach out to 78 towns and 268 villages all over the country all in a bid to reduce carnages on the roads as a result of disregard for road safety measures.
The initiative is being spearheaded by Somoco Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of the Mohinani Group of Companies, with support from the Ministry of Transport and the National Road Safety Commission.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, the deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Joyce Mogtari, said road safety had for the past decade become a public health issue due to the magnitude of road traffic crashes and their resultant casualties across the globe.
According to her, Ghana has had its fair share of this global concern despite the fact that road users have the opportunity to avoid the risky road user behaviours and embrace positive road user behaviours.
“While others breach the law out of indiscipline, others indulge in negative road safety practices out of ignorance,” she added.
The deputy minister also explained that government efforts might not be enough to address this menace and, therefore, initiatives such as that by the private sector could only complement.
“Government alone may not be able to respond to the needs of everybody and this collaboration is relevant and mutually beneficial as we need to stay alive to sustain our economy,” she said.
She also used the occasion to urge other corporate citizens to emulate the example set by Somoco Ghana Limited to support socially relevant initiatives.
The Director of the Mohinani Group of Companies, Mr Ashok Mohinani, said the issue of road safety had become a concern for all and there was, therefore, the need to propagate the message “safe ride, save lives.”
“Ride Safe” rally
The road safety awareness campaign seeks to demonstrate proper driving skills, improve education and training of road users, and increase compliance with road rules, as well as promote the use of genuine vehicle parts and need for maintenance.
The deputy minister also revealed that Ghana recorded an average of 2,300 deaths per year through road safety crashes, while almost 14,000 people were left seriously injured as a result.
“Out of this number, the most vulnerable road user categories have been pedestrians and passengers accounting for 42 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively. It must be stated that another emerging class of vulnerable road user in the recent few years are the motor cycle riders,” she said.
She added that most of those riders plied the road without crash helmets, insufficient knowledge and skills, as well as abuse road traffic laws with impunity.