1,800 Die Annual In Accidents

About one thousand, eight hundred people die annually in Ghana through road accidents. According to Mr. Emmanuel T.K. Narh, Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the highest road crashes occur in April, during Easter and December when Christmas is observed, because people travel a lot during those periods. Mr Narh who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani on Monday, following the release of a report of research conducted on cause, managing and curbing road crashes in the country, by the Brong Ahafo branch of the DVLA, said that 18 percent of the accidents occur between 6p.m and 8 p.m. in the evening. Mr. Narh, who was the leader of the research team, said the study formed part of activities of the DVLA to reduce or totally eradicate road carnage, and said public education/message, via the print and electronic media were also employed to deal with the situation. He said the report revealed that Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra, Central and Western regions, recorded 80 percent of road accidents in the country. He noted that mini-buses accounted for 35 percent fatal crashes, adding that people between 18 and 55 years, formed 60 percent of the number of fatalities on the roads and 70 percent of such accidents involved males. Mr. Narh said poor weather and road conditions, mechanical failure and human error, had been identified as the main cause of road accidents. He said that research conducted coupled with experience, had shown that the majority of road accidents within the first, second and third quarters of the year were caused by the concept of �hidden hazards� thus dangers that were not seen, but posed a great threat on human lives. Mr. Narh advice earth-moving machine operators and motor-cyclists to adhere to �the condition of the vehicle/motor-bike, nature of the roads, the means of effective road communication gadgets and the speed limit.� To prevent accident. He said �the qualities of responsibility, consideration, observation, concentration, confidence, anticipation, high level of tolerance are all the hall mark of any defensive driver,� saying, meticulous observation of these qualities led greatly to the prevention of road accidents.