90% of road accidents in Ghana caused by human factors – NRSA Boss
The NRSA boss expressed concern about the growing indiscipline among motorbike users, stressing that over speeding and non-compliance with traffic regulations have been a major contributor to fatal crashes
The Director General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Abraham Amaliba, has revealed that human error accounts for 90 percent of road accidents recorded in Ghana.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Tuesday, September 23, Amaliba said most accidents result from reckless behaviour such as drunk driving, disregard for road signs, speeding, and the use of substances by drivers and riders.
“About 90 percent of the accidents are caused by human factors,” he stated. “A driver who will not observe road signs, will not respect speed limits, will drink and drive, or take substances to stay awake without knowing that when the efficacy wears off, he will immediately fall asleep.”
The NRSA boss expressed concern about the growing indiscipline among motorbike users, stressing that over speeding and non-compliance with traffic regulations have been a major contributor to fatal crashes. He urged riders to value their lives and exercise caution on the road.
Amaliba further disclosed that the Authority, in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and other agencies, will soon introduce mandatory speed governors in all intercity commercial vehicles, similar to the system currently used by the State Transport Company (STC).
“That is one way of killing the speed before the speed kills drivers and passengers.” He emphasised.
He also announced plans to scale up road safety education in schools once funds are made available. According to him, instilling discipline in young people is critical to reversing the dangerous road culture in the country.
“When the Finance Minister releases our budget, we want to scale up road safety education in schools because we must catch them young. This misbehaviour on our roads is due to attitudes and conduct we learned while growing up.” He said.
Amaliba assured the public of an exciting future for the NRSA under his leadership, with initiatives aimed at drastically reducing road crashes. He urged all road users to exercise discipline and responsibility when using the roads.
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