Campaign to enforce alcohol-free driving lands in Central Region

The train to enforce alcohol-free driving on the road has landed in the Central Region.

The exercise which is a partnership between Guinness Ghana Limited and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, is to ensure sanity along the roads and reduce deaths and destruction due to carnages.

It is dubbed “Tweakwano mmom” which is translated “we have to cross the year without drunk driving”.

Briefing Graphic Online at Duakro on the Cape Coast-Takoradi Highway, the leader of the team, Superintendent of Police Dr Samuel Sasu-Mensah, said the programme started during Christmas to help reduce the soaring rates of accidents on the road.

Alcohol test

He said the exercise is carried out using a breathalyzer to test the level of alcohol, permissible limit of 0.08 per cent, which is measured with a competent device, calibrated by Ghana Standards Authority.

He said anyone who exceeded the limit is arrested and prosecuted adding that “this will reduce the number of injured or killed as a result of alcohol-related accident.

Besides, Dr Saus-Mensah said the team also created the necessary awareness on the impact of alcohol on the road saying “two drivers have been arrested during today’s [Friday] exercise and would be prosecuted”.

According to the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), there have been 12,396 vehicular crashes between January to November 2018, with 20,082 cars involved, 2,118 fatalities and 12,318 injuries.

The exercise was already undertaken in Accra Kumasi and Takoradi.