The Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service has intensified its call for stricter compliance with road safety regulations as more than 2,600 people have lost their lives in road crashes nationwide this year.
Speaking during a road safety sensitisation exercise with the Truck Drivers Association in Tema, the Tema Regional Police MTTU Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Richard Nyarko, attributed nearly 80 per cent of crashes recorded between January and November to human-related factors. These include over-speeding, wrongful overtaking, poor vehicle maintenance and failure by drivers and passengers to wear seat belts.
DSP Nyarko expressed concern about the spike in accidents during festive seasons, describing the trend as worrying and preventable. He said the engagement formed part of intensified public education efforts aimed at reducing crashes before, during and after the Christmas celebrations.
He urged truck drivers to strictly observe traffic regulations, obey road signs and plan their journeys carefully, stressing that road safety discipline was key to saving lives, particularly on highways and motorways where speeding and fatigue often result in fatal crashes.
The Deputy Commander of the Tema Regional Police MTTU, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stanley Obeng, also appealed to drivers to continuously upgrade their driving skills and knowledge. He noted that improved driving competence would help curb careless driving and significantly lower the incidence of road accidents.
The police say sustained cooperation from commercial drivers, especially during the busy festive period, remains critical to reversing the rising toll of road crashes across the country.
