Accra: Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng, the Director of Education, Research and Training at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), has urged vehicle owners to regularly maintain their vehicles as a key measure to reduce road crashes. Chief Supt. Obeng emphasized the importance of vehicle maintenance in line with road traffic regulations, highlighting that proper lighting systems and appropriate notices on vehicles, particularly trucks and long vehicles, are crucial in combating road carnage.
According to Ghana News Agency, Chief Supt. Obeng addressed transit truck drivers and other stakeholders during a sensitisation workshop organized by the Ghana Shippers Authority on road regulations and regulations covering axle loading and transportation of hazardous goods. He advised that vehicles should be operated by licensed and trained drivers to ensure proper usage on roads, which would help save lives, protect properties, and support business growth.
Chief Supt. Obeng expressed concern over the alarming statistics between January and April, where over 4,700 road crashes were recorded in the country, involving over 8,000 vehicles. These incidents resulted in over 5,000 injuries and more than 1,000 deaths. He highlighted that 1,365 of these crashes involved trucks, indicating a troubling rise in preventable accidents that affect both lives and the livelihoods of truck owners and drivers.
He urged drivers to consider the significant impact of preventable crashes on lives, properties, goods, and the economy. He stated the economic repercussions, human fatalities, injuries, property damage, and loss of goods and capital are substantial. Chief Supt. Obeng identified causes such as defective lights, tyres, reflectors, overloading, overtaking, and abandoned faulty vehicles on roads.
Furthermore, he encouraged adherence to road traffic regulations and recommended that drivers rest after four hours of driving to prevent fatigue. He noted that the presence of police on roads should not be frowned upon, as it plays a vital role in checking road indiscipline and reducing the growing number of road crashes.
