By Albert Allotey
Accra, Dec. 3, GNA – The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) in collaboration with the Accra and Kumasi Metropolitan Assemblies has launched the “Know and Follow the Speed Limits” campaign to sensitize drivers on the need to follow speed limits to save lives.
The campaign was developed with technical support from global public health organization, Vital Strategies, through Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety.
The programme was to remind drivers to slow down during the election and the Christmas periods, which are peak travel periods as statistics show that road crashes are increasing.
Mr Martin Afram, the Director of Planning and Programmes at the NRSA, who launched the campaign in Accra, reiterated the need for drivers to know the speed limit and abide by it.
“It is important for every driver moving on any road in Ghana know and drive within the posted speed limit. Speed limits are in place to keep all road users safe – it is critical that they be followed.
“The faster you drive, the lesser your chance of survival when you collide with any object. I believe strongly that this campaign, which is coordinated with massive speed enforcement, will help us change the narrative around road safety and record fewer crashes and fatalities on our roads during this election and Christmas period,” he stated.
He said the latest Status Summary Reports released by the Johns Hopkins International Injury and Research Unit reveals that 92 per cent and 89 per cent of drivers’ speed on local and collector roads, respectively, in Accra and Kumasi.
Mr Afram noted that speed directly influences the risk of a crash as well as the severity of injuries sustained, and the likelihood of death resulting from that crash.
“As of October, this year, the Police MTTD had recorded 2,038 road crash deaths across the country. This is a matter of concern that needs to be tackled critically,” he said.
He said “Know and Follow the Speed Limit campaign focuses on equipping drivers with information on speed limits on Ghana’s roads while ensuring the enforcement of these speed limits.
He stated that safe, reliable, and affordable transit is important for people’s work and personal lives, as well as for economic development, therefore the NRSA in collaboration with the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service would conduct significant enforcement operations.
Chief Superintendent Alexander Obeng, the Director of Education, Research and Training at the Police MTTD stressed the need for drivers to slow down during the peak season.
He said the police were ready to crack the whip on any driver caught speeding or engaging in any risky behaviour on the roads, to safeguard the lives of residents.
Asmeret Nigus, Vital Strategies Technical Advisor for Africa said, “Everyone deserves safe streets. Yet, an estimated 1.19 million lives are lost on the world’s roads each year, with speeding a leading cause of these preventable tragedies.”
He stated that governments need to fundamentally reimagine road safety: prioritizing those most at risk – pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists -to reduce the likelihood and the severity of crashes.
“We congratulate the National Road Safety Authority, the Accra, and Kumasi Metropolitan Assemblies on the launch of the ‘Know and Follow the Speed Limits’ campaign, which, coupled with enforcement by traffic police, aims to deter speeding behaviour and save lives.
“Vital Strategies is proud to have supported the development of this campaign,” he said.
The Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) works with the world’s leading road safety organizations to design strategies, implement activities and coordinate with in-country governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders.
It places emphasis on achieving outcomes, and on using high-quality monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to continually assess programmes progress.
GNA