By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, Jan. 22, GNA — Mrs Pearl Adusu Sateckla, Public Relations Officer of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), has urged motorcyclists to desist from riding on the sides of other vehicles and keep to the lanes.
She said though Ghana did not have any exact regulation against such behaviour, riders should endeavour to ride responsibly and be in lanes.
Mrs Sateckla said the habit of motorcyclists riding on the side of other vehicles was due to the absence of dedicated lanes for motorcycles.
Motorcycles have become common means for transportation countrywide, both commercial and private.
Riding on motorcycles is increasingly becoming a preference for many due to its swiftness and ability to maneuver tight spaces.
However, the use of the two-wheeled vehicle continue to be major concern for many due to the increasing cases of road crashes.
Some riders jump the red lights, ride on the sides of cars instead of the lanes, ride on pavements, speeding and doing wrongful overtaking.
They also ride without helmets, making the road unsafe for other road users.
A total of 2,276 persons died to road crashes between January and December 2023, according to a Motor Accident Returns Report from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD).
Some 15,409 persons also sustained various degrees of injuries through road crashes, within the same period.
A total of 14,135 crashes were reported, involving 23,998 vehicles and 2,559 pedestrian knock downs.
Out of the total number of vehicles involved in the crashes, 8,084 were commercial vehicles; 10,767 were private vehicles and 5,147 of them were motorcycles.
The motorcycle crashes led to 931 deaths and 4,418 injuries.
GNA