With the festive season approaching and road travel expected to surge nationwide, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) is shifting attention to a critical but often overlooked group in the fight against road crashes: passengers and community road users.
Under a revamped nationwide initiative dubbed “Operation Comply,” the Authority is placing strong emphasis on public vigilance, encouraging passengers to speak up against reckless driving and support efforts to curb the alarming rise in road crashes recorded this year.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mrs. Pearl Adusu Sateckla, Public Relations Officer of the NRSA, said that while enforcement agencies will be out in full force, the success of the campaign will depend heavily on the actions of ordinary Ghanaians.
Passengers Urged to Be ‘First Line of Defence’
Mrs. Sateckla stressed that passengers have the power to influence driver behaviour, especially during December when travel spikes and road risks increase sharply.
“If passengers manage their time well and refuse to pressure drivers to speed, we can significantly cut down the number of crashes,” she said.
She encouraged commuters to openly challenge dangerous driving, report offending drivers at checkpoints, and refuse to board unroadworthy vehicles.
Communities Also Targeted
Beyond passengers, the NRSA is appealing to market vendors, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and residents along major corridors to observe speed limits and traffic rules.
The Authority reminded the public of existing legal limits—30 km/h near schools, hospitals and markets; 50 km/h within towns; and 90 km/h on highways—and warned that ignoring these limits remains one of the biggest contributors to road carnage.
Enforcement Still Part of the Picture
Although the campaign is centred on community involvement, “Operation Comply” will still feature heightened enforcement by the Ghana Police Service, DVLA, NGOs and corporate partners.
In the week leading up to Christmas, personnel will mount major intersections to monitor compliance, and offenders will face immediate sanctions. The exercise comes as the NRSA expresses deep concern over rising crash statistics this year.
Motorway and High-Risk Areas Highlighted
Mrs. Sateckla particularly noted the Accra–Tema Motorway, currently under reconstruction, urging motorists to adhere strictly to temporary speed signs.
“Research shows that about 90 per cent of Ghanaian drivers speed,” she said. “Cutting down speed alone can save countless lives.”
A Collective Goal: Zero Fatalities
The Authority says its ultimate goal this December is simple but ambitious: a Christmas season free from fatalities and serious injuries. Achieving that, the NRSA insists, will require partnerships between agencies, drivers—and especially passengers.
“The road is a shared space. Every user has a role to play,” Mrs. Sateckla said.
