David Osafo Adonteng, Acting Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), says any act of reckless driving will not be condoned this Easter.
He said road users, including high-profile persons and celebrities who would breach the law, would be made to face the full rigours of the law.
He issued the warning at the launch of the “Stop Speeding” campaign which took place at the NSRA headquarters in Accra on Friday, March 22.
The “Stop Speeding” campaign is a mass media campaign organized to sensitize drivers on the need to follow speed limits to save lives in the upcoming Easter celebration.
It is being implemented by the NSRA in partnership with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiatives.
“Any individual who flouts the traffic regulations will be apprehended by the Police in whichever capacity you find yourself, and we will take you through the rigorous of the law.
“I therefore want to warn that, considering the crashes and the injuries that we are recording, there will be no mercy at all,” Mr Adonten said.
Explaining why the NSRA and its partners are issuing such warnings to the public to abide by road traffic regulations, Mr Adonteng stated that though the year was young, available statistics show an increase in some road accident indicators.
He said that in just two months, the country had recorded 2,260 accidents, involving 3,910 vehicles, 369 fatalities, 2,552 injuries, and 381 pedestrian knockdowns, an increase in what was recorded in the same months in the year 2023.
He said that in January and February 2023, the total number of road accidents recorded was 2,249, the number of vehicles involved, was 3,857, persons killed, 330, persons injured 2,502, and pedestrian knockdowns, 382.
“This shows an increase of 0.49% for crashes, 1.37% for vehicles involved and 2.0% for persons injured. Notably, persons killed increased by 11.82% as compared to the first two months in 2023.” Mr Adonteng said.
He said if action and intense monitoring were not done the number could increase further during the Easter holidays because there would be a surge in motorization, leading to heightened traffic congestion and increased road safety risks due to the numerous religious conventions and merrymaking.
He said that last year, some road users, both private and commercial cars, including high-profile personalities and celebrities were apprehended or warned.
However, Mr Adonteng said there would be no such warnings this year, hence advised road users to tread cautiously.
Chief Supt. Alexander Obeng, Director of Research and Education, Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate, said that the Police would also deploy men across the country to ensure that people complied with traffic rules.
He, however, noted that there would be more Police presence at places where the Easter festivities would be massively celebrated, for instance, Kwahu in the Eastern Region, than other places.
He assured Ghanaians of Police protection but also advised that people should be measured in their celebration.
GNA
