Road crash statistics have revealed that a total of 3,340 cases were recorded between January to March 2023. The Greater Accra Region had the highest number of recorded crashes of 1,243 among the 16 regions while the Oti Region recorded 15 cases being the least. In total, over 544 people have been killed in various road accidents in the country since 2023.
Studies have revealed that driving fatigue is a common but dangerous problem that puts countless lives at risk. Falling asleep at the wheel is a major cause of accidents, with potentially devastating consequences.
Myjoyonline yesterday published a story about Mary Manu, a 15-year-old girl, who has birthed an Anti-sleep alarm for motorists, a device that could help lessen bloodshed on Ghana’s roads. The device is designed to combat driver fatigue and serve as a crucial tool in mitigating the risks of accidents on Ghana’s roadways.
With its innovative features, including automatic speed reduction and GPS location tracking, the device has the potential to save countless lives and spare families from the anguish of loss.
Mary’s motivation for inventing the Anti-sleep alarm for motorists was as a result of a road accident on the Aflao-Tema highway in 2019, which claimed many lives, including her father, in a terrible head-on collision, after a sleepy driver carelessly hit his car.
Mary found strength in her grief, as she and her colleague young innovators, through the Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize Challenge (GSTEP), decided to grasp the chance to reduce and mitigate the carnage on Ghana’s roads with the invention of the Anti-sleep alarm.
The Chronicle congratulates Mary for this great achievement. As a young girl, she found a new determination from her painful loss and embarked on a mission to honour the memory of her late father.
Explaining how the Anti-sleep alarm works, Mary said if the driver is fatigued or about to fall asleep whilst driving, the device has been designed and programmed to automatically slow the vehicle down and send the driver’s GPS location to an emergency contact.
The significance of Mary’s project cannot be understated. Road accidents, fueled by factors such as fatigue and negligence, claim countless lives each year, leaving behind a trail of devastation and heartache. Mary’s innovation addresses a critical need for proactive measures to enhance road safety and prevent unnecessary loss of life.
Mary’s project has the potential to save lives by emphasising the value of road safety and offering workable ways to reduce road hazards. This device acts as a catalyst for more action, funding and awareness by stakeholders, to put road safety first and safeguard vulnerable users of the road.
The benefits of using an anti-sleep alarm are numerous. Not only can they potentially save lives, but they also promote driver awareness and responsibility. By preventing drowsy driving, these alarms contribute to a reduction in accidents, injuries, and fatalities on the road.
Mary’s story should encourage all of us to work toward a future in which accidents like hers are rare and all travel is safe.
