EASTERN Region, the third most populous region after Ashanti and Greater Accra, is also one of the 10 political entities with a good road network.
To be precise, by the end of last year, 40 per cent of the trunk roads constituting 778 kilometres out of the region’s total length of 1,400 kilometres were in good shape.
Such a good road network, although not the same in certain parts of the region, which under normal circumstances, should have fewer motor accidents, had rather been registering some of the fatal accidents and loss of property.
Another worrying aspect of the motor accidents is that it periodically goes up and down with corresponding increases in deaths and destruction of property.
Statistics obtained at the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit of the Ghana Police Service indicate that between January and September, 2008, the region registered 839 motor accidents involving 1,219 vehicles out of which 1,150 persons were injured and 179 killed.
Within the same period this year, 835 motor accidents were recorded, involving 1,133 vehicles with 1,411 injured and claiming the lives of 187 people.
Some of the accident-prone roads are the Nsawam-Bunso-Nkawkaw stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway, with the Suhum Roundabout being the most dangerous spot as well as the Mamfe-Koforidua road (with the dangerous curves at Amamprobi and Asuobeto being death spots.
The poorly constructed Asamankese-Suhum road which has developed gaping potholes, is another death trap.
Most of the fatal accidents which normally occur on these roads during festivities such as Easter and Christmas have for a long time been a source of worry to travellers, especially those who travel on December 24, the eve of the Yuletide.
To avoid the possibility of motor accidents occurring during such periods, many people who are desirous of undertaking homeward journeys decide to stay at home and travel at latter date for belated celebrations.
To prevent such ghastly accidents, the regional MTTU, under the command of Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, has instituted a study on the causes of the accidents and has come out with the panacea.
According to Superintendent Sarfo, most of the accidents occurred as a result of human error; drink-driving, driver fatigue, wrongful overtaking, overloading, speeding and wrongful use of headlights when vehicles were approaching others, especially on the Nsawam-Nkawkaw stretch of the Accra-Kumasi highway.
Some of the accidents are also caused by unlicensed drivers who have managed to secure fake driving licences. The police arrested one of such drivers, Amos Gyapong last week with a fake driving licence issued on April, 23, 2008 and was being prosecuted.
The wrongful placement of hands on the steering wheel to control a vehicle in motion, which Superintendent Sarfo Peprah said should be at the position of “10 minutes to two or quarter to three” (clockwise), an act of defiance that has been identified as one of the causes of motor accidents.
Other causes include receiving or making mobile phone calls while driving, inability of motorists to regularly service their vehicles some of which are fitted with wrong parts and worn-out tyres.
To ensure that the drivers obey traffic regulations, the MTTU has intensified its checks on the roads with more policemen placed at vantage points to apprehend any motorist who would flout the regulations.
“We have found out the causes of the accidents, most of which are due to irresponsibility of the drivers, and we have put in the necessary measures to discipline the drivers” Superintendent Sarfo Peprah stated.
The measures, he said, included the use to radar guns to check speeding, Alco-censors (devices to check alcohol in one’s body in order to determine the level of alcohol in drivers), while faulty vehicles or those with worn-out tyres would be prevented from operating.
Furthermore, unqualified drivers or those found to be using fake driving licences would be arrested and instantly put before court.
To give meaning to his words, Superintendent Sarfo has directed the prosecution of two heavily drunk drivers of commercial vehicles who were fined GH¢400 and GH¢300. One of them, who could not afford to pay the fine, had to serve prison term.
Drivers of private cars are also not being spared, as 30 of them, who were arrested but managed to escape, were tried in absentia and bench warrants issued for their re-arrest.
“We are going all out and even owners of broken-down vehicles along the roads which also cause accidents are being sought for to tow the vehicles away”, Superintendent Sarfo Peprah said.
The Regional MTTU boss stated that many people who were killed in motor accidents were from knock-downs within towns along the Nsawam-Nkawkaw portion of the Accra-Kumasi highway such as Nkawkaw, Apedwa, Bunso, Osino and Jejeti.
He stated that his outfit had also intensified educational campaigns on the issue at some of the lorry parks.
The regional branch of the National Roads Safety Commission has also put in measures to curb the accidents.
According to the Co-ordinator, Mr Stephen Anokye, his outfit, in collaboration with the Driver, Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), had trained 1,500 drivers on First Aid administration on accident victims before being sent to the hospital.
Apart from that, the commission would soon film dangerous spots on the highways to be shown on television to guide motorists and also support all the measures being implemented by the MTTU to maintain sanity on the roads.
“Together with the DVLA, the commission will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary, during which an elaborate educational campaign on road safety would be organised throughout the region,” Mr Anokye stated.
Superintendent Sarfo Peprah said with those measures in place coupled with support from passengers who must also insist that drivers did the right thing, accidents on the roads in the region, if not totally prevented, would be minimised before, during and after the Christmas festivities and beyond.
In that direction, the police must be prepared to sustain their presence on the roads, a task which Superintendent Sarfo Peprah said could be accomplished, judging from the manner he had for sometime handled the situation.
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