More males than females have died from road crashes in 2023 in the Upper East Region, a situation which has become a worrying concern to many stakeholders.
Statistics from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) say, out of the 65 deaths resulting from road crashes last year, 55 of them representing 85 per cent were males while the remaining 10 deaths representing 15 per cent were females.
The Authority said what was worrisome was the fact that many of those involved in the crashes were young people with 57 of the total deaths recorded in 2023 representing 88 per cent being people between the ages of 18 and above.
Mr John Quarshie, the Principal Transport Assistant, NRSA, Upper East Region, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga expressed grave concern that most of the crashes and deaths involved young people and the situation had persisted over the years.
He said 57 of the total deaths recorded in 2023 representing 88 per cent were people aged 18 and above.
“The young men are dying, and we need to work together to address the challenge,” he added.
He noted that such deaths made young widows, thereby contributing to deepening the poverty cycle and loss of energetic human resources necessary for development.
The Principal Transport Assistant noted that although indiscipline, over speeding, disregard for road safety regulations among others had been identified as factors leading to road crashes over the years, drunkenness had become a major road safety concern in the region.
“Most of the crashes occur at night and drunk driving is a major contributory factor, because along the stretch of Upper East roads is covered with beer bars and some are even as close as five metres to the road, so the moment the person finishes taking the drink, the next place is to jump onto the road,” he lamented.
Mr Quarshie underscored the need for stronger collaboration between various stakeholders particularly the various Municipal and District Assemblies and NRSA to regulate the operations of drinking spots in the region to help address the challenge.
As part of measures to help address the challenge, he outlined that the Authority was decentralising its operations to the community and District Assembly levels by establishing district level road safety committees to help educate the citizenry and enforce bylaws that ensure safety on the road.
Mr Quarshie said election years always recorded a rise in road crashes and added that plans were advanced to engage members of the various political parties especially the youth to educate them on road safety ahead of the December 2024 general elections.
He advised leadership of the political parties, religious bodies and business owners to desist from placing their adverts on roads and traffic signs, adding it was an offence punishable by law.
“We are pleading, the road signs are not places for advertisement, please leave them for the road users so that the signs can communicate to them at any particular point in time,” he stressed.
GNA
HT/BM/AD
01 Feb 2024
