Road Accident Cases Reduce In Ashanti … From 2,162 In 2011 To 1,797 In 2012
From Sebastian R. Freiku, Kumasi
ROAD ACCIDENTS in Ashanti region in 2012 reduced against that of the previous year of 2011, FOLLOWING intensive education.
Figures at the Ashanti Regional Office of the MTTU made available to The Chronicle revealed that road accidents in Ashanti Region reduced from 2,162 in 2011 to 1,797 crashes in 2012.
Deaths recorded over the same period were 451 for 2011 against 314 deaths in 2012.
A total number of 2,261 persons were injured as a result of the crashes in 2012, which figure represents a reduction in 2,683 injured persons in 2011.
The Ashanti Regional Commander of the MTTU, Chief Superintendent Godact Dodzi Hlordzi revealed that commercial vehicles continue to top the list of vehicles involved in road crashes, and that while commercial vehicles involved in road accidents stood at 1,608 in 2012, 1,869 were recorded in 2011, whilst motor bikes recorded the least figure of 222 in 2012.
Chief Supt. Hlordzi mentioned over-speeding, lack of maintenance of vehicles and disrespect for road traffic regulations as some of the major causes of road accidents in the region and disclosed that road accidents continue to be recorded on very good roads where drivers over-speed and ignore all road traffic regulations.
He advised both pedestrians and drivers to observe road traffic regulations to help reduce road traffic crashes in the region.
The Ashanti MTTU boss announced that his outfit generated GHc66,828.00 in 2012 against a figure of GHc93,915.00 in 2011 in fines from drivers who road traffic offences.
The MTTU chief attributed the reduction in the road traffic crashes to intensive education carried out by personnel of the MTTU and the National Road Safety Commission as well as other stakeholders.
Chief Supt. Hlordzi assured that the MTTU, together with other stakeholders such as the Road Safety Commission and the Driver and Vehicles Licensing Authority (DVLA) would embark on series of educational campaigns and road safety inspections geared at further reducing accident figures for 2013.
On the high traffic congestion in the Kumasi metropolis in particular and other parts of the Ashanti Region in general, Chief Supt. Hlordzi welcomed any legislation that will impose high fines on private vehicles that move to the business centres as has been the case in some developed countries such as the United Kingdom.
Pix: C/Supt. G. D. Hlordzi, MTTU chief-Ashanti
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