By Gladys Abakah/Francisca Cardinal
Takoradi, Oct. 03, GNA – The Western Regional Road Safety Authority (NRSA), in collaboration with Vivo Energy Ghana, has embarked on a road safety education and wellness campaign for commercial drivers in Takoradi.
The campaign, on the theme: “Fit2Drive,” sought to engage drivers on the need to prioritise their well-being as they went about their daily activities.
Mr Victor Kojo Bilson, the Western Regional Head, NRSA, said the campaign was to inform drivers of the need to go through pre-departure checks before they embarked on their journeys, to help reduce accidents on the roads.
“If the driver behind the wheel is not defective, then the tendency of him and the passengers getting involved in a crash tends to be low,” he said.
He said there was a need for drivers to take good care of themselves as most accidents were not caused by the nature of the roads and vehicles but by human errors.
Mr Bilson encouraged drivers to ensure they were both physically and mentally fit before driving, to avoid endangering the lives of passengers.
He said, “We are also urging them to desist from substance and drug abuse because now it is not just about the drugs, but the kind of things they sniff which is very difficult to detect with the normal machine and breathalyzer,” (a device for measuring amount of alcohol in a driver’s breath).
Madam Shirley Tony Kum, the Corporate Communications Manager of Vivo Energy Ghana, said her organisation deemed the promotion of road safety and the wellbeing of drivers as paramount, and for this reason, was collaborating with other institutions like Hollard Insurance Ghana and NRSA to organise such programmes for drivers.
She explained the reason behind the institution of the “Fit2Drive” initiative, is the fact that due to the busy schedules of drivers, they often tend to neglect their health needs and taking good care of themselves sometimes becomes a challenge.
She said the second edition of the wellness campaign sought to target thousands of commercial drivers nationwide to ensure they improved upon their fitness levels.
Mr Justice Peprah, the Western Regional Manager of the National Insurance Commission, entreated drivers to insure their vehicles to secure their lives and properties in the event of uncertainties.
Mr Frank Gasese, the Western Regional Manager of Driver and Vehicle License Authority (DVLA), also encouraged drivers to build good relationships with their passengers as customer care was essential in every business, “therefore the way you handle your passengers will determine whether or not they would board your car or not”.
He also urged drivers to renew their licenses upon expiry, to avoid having problems with road-traffic authorities, while adhering to road signs and regulations.
As part of the “Fit2Drive” campaign, there was an eye screening session for the drivers.
GNA