U/E records significant reduction in road fatalities last year

Accident scene

ASP Daniel. K. Teye, MTTU Commander  

Available statistics from the Upper East Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit, MTTU, of the Ghana Police Service reveals that road carnage in the region, particularly motorbike crashes recorded a significant reduction in 2013 as compared to 2012. The Regional Commander of the MTTU, ASP Daniel Kwao Teye, who made the revelation to Radio Ghana said though there was a decline in the number of road fatalities, it was still necessary for all to collectively join in the crusade against  road accidents. According to him, his office will continue to intensify its road safety campaigns and called for attitudinal change to addressing the menace. Motorbike crashes in the three regions of the north had caused the lives of many leaving a high number of people having permanent deformities. In 2012, one hundred and sixty one cases were recorded with 63 deaths whilst   the year 2013 recorded a decrease in the number of deaths. Most of these deaths were recorded in the Bolgatanga and Navrongo municipalities. During the year under review about nine hundred motorists in the Bolgatanga municipality were processed for court due to road traffic offences in the region and paid close to GH¢42,000  as fines. They were charged with various offences such as overloading, wrongful overtaking, over speeding, blatant disregards for road traffic regulations as well as driving without the requisite driving documents among other offences. ASP Daniel Kwao Teye, said had it not been the intervention of the police through it rigorous road safety campaigns and continuous operations to the clamp down road traffic offenders, the number of fatalities in the region would have been higher.  He stated that though various interventions have been mapped out to deal with road accidents, the rate at which road accident was killing people in the region gives calls for concern. He said the region as at the beginning of the year had recorded nine deaths, stressing that should motorists continue to ignore road safety regulations, there could be more deaths in the months ahead.  ASP Kwao Teye however implored motorists to exercise caution when using the road.  According to him, stakeholders’ particularly religious bodies have a role to play in the fight against road accident and urged them to complement the effort of the police in dealing with the situation.

GBC                                                                   END                                                                                  IA/