Sunyani, Dec. 11, GNA – Road accidents, have claimed 78 lives in Bono Region from January to October this year, says the National Road Safety Authority.
Most of the crashes occurred due to driver negligence, with over-speeding and disregard of road safety regulations identified as major causes of the accidents.
Mr Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, the Bono Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority (MRSA) who disclosed this said the region recorded 161 accidents cases, involving 304 vehicles injuring 195 people within the same period.
Interacting with journalists at a media engagement meeting in Sunyani, Mr Boateng said the region recorded seven pedestrian knockdowns.
The engagement, attended by practitioners, mostly selected from the electronic media in accident prone areas in the region, was aimed at sensitizing the participants on the new mandate of the NRSA.
Mr Boateng commended the media in the region for their continuous support, and expressed the hope that the existing relationship between the NRSA and the media would be deepened to help control accidents.
With the onset of the harmattan, the Regional Director said the weather would be unfavourable for driving, and cautioned drivers to endeavour to obey road signs and reduce speeding.
Mr Boateng said the Authority in the region had launched a vigorous Christmas campaign to intensify road safety education at lorry stations, and bus terminals as well as market and other public places to prevent accidents in the region.
Mr Gabriel Kwame Okyere, Principal Assistant, Transport at the Authority said the media remained a key stakeholder, and appealed to practitioners to help intensify public education for the campaign to achieve desirable outcomes.
He said it was unfortunate many Ghanaians linked avoidable road accidents to wizardry and witchcraft, a situation he added was impeding the Authority’s efforts to control crashes in the country.
GNA