[ 2011-04-15 ]

Ghana records 540 motor accident deaths in first quarter of 2011
Police Inspector Simon Tenkuu, Public Relations
Officer of National Motor Traffic and Transport
Unit (MTTU) of Ghana Police Service, on Thursday
said about 540 deaths were recorded through motor
accidents nationwide during the first quarter of
2011.

He said 1,774 private vehicles and 2,117
commercial vehicles were involved in the
accidents.

Insp. Tenkuu announced this at the inauguration of
General Road Users Safety Association (GRUSA) in
Accra.

GRUSA is a non-governmental organisation, aimed at
educating and bringing to the fore the need for
road users to be safety conscious on the road to
reduce the negative impact of road accidents on
life and health of the people.

It would complement efforts of the National Road
Safety Commission in educating prospective road
users at lorry stations, on the highways and at
accident prone areas in the country.

Insp. Tenkuu said out of the 2,989 accident cases
recorded within the first quarter of 2011, 400 of
them were fatal, 797 were serious and 1,792 were
minor cases, 432 pedestrians were knocked down
while 3,166 persons received injuries.

He explained that most causes of motor accidents
included speeding, talking on phone while driving
and fatigue.

Insp. Tenkuu appealed to the association to
collaborate with the MTTU to reduce the carnage on
the road.

Alhaji Muniru Suleman, Chairman of GRUSA, said the
association would collaborate with institutions
and organisations within the road and transport
sector to remove broken down vehicles on the
road.

"We will also engage in all activities that will
make life safe on our roads since we believe in
'LIFE FIRST'," he said.

Alhaji Suleman noted that carnage on the roads was
a national disaster, which affected the
development agenda of the government, saying "Our
country has been deprived for a long time of human
capital due to carelessness and recklessness on
the roads".

This, he said needed the consciousness of all road
users and the association would be offering basic
training in road safety for the public through
churches, schools and mosques.

Source - GNA

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