By Kwame Abbor
Ho, Sept. 15, GNA – Mr Bismark Elorm Sackitey, Planning Manager of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ho, has urged motorists to take immediate safety measures when vehicles break down on roads.
He said vehicle breakdowns could occur unexpectedly, exposing motorists and passengers to moving traffic and creating conditions for secondary crashes, particularly at night, on busy roads and in areas with poor visibility.
Mr Sackitey, who made the call in a road safety message to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday, said drivers should, as an emergency measure, move broken-down vehicles completely off the carriageway to a safe location.
He advised motorists to switch on their hazard warning lights immediately to alert approaching road users and, where the vehicle could be moved safely, avoid stopping on bends or curves, junctions, hills or other locations where approaching drivers might not see the vehicle in time.
Mr Sackitey said where a vehicle could not be moved, motorists should make it as visible as possible to approach traffic and avoid standing directly in front of or behind it, where they could be struck by another vehicle.
He urged passengers, where safe, to move away from moving traffic and wait in a secure location, warning against allowing children or other passengers to move around the carriageway.
The Planning Manager advised motorists against attempting repairs in the middle of busy roads or remaining around broken-down vehicles while waiting for assistance.
He said drivers should avoid remaining inside a vehicle stopped in a dangerous position unless leaving it would expose them to greater danger.
Mr Sackitey explained that roadside breakdowns were particularly dangerous at night because poor visibility could make it difficult for approaching drivers to identify stationary vehicles in time.
He urged motorists to exercise extra caution on poorly lit roads and locations with limited visibility, while ensuring that hazard lights were activated to improve the vehicle’s visibility.
He further advised other road users approaching a broken-down vehicle to slow down, maintain a safe following distance where possible, and remain alert to pedestrians or passengers near the vehicle.
“A breakdown is stressful, but it should not become a crash,” Mr Sackitey said, urging motorists to get out of the path of traffic, make their vehicles visible and seek assistance from a safe location.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Audrey Dekalu