His Royal Majesty, Ya Naa Abukari II has described as appalling and unacceptable, the increasing road crushes on the country’s major highways.
He has therefore reminded all road users to avoid over-speeding, wrong overtaking, fatigue driving, drunk driving, drugs as well as wrong crossing of the road by pedestrians to stay alive.
The Dagbon King who is an Ambassador of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) wants Ghanaians, especially residents in the northern region and the Dagbon traditional area to celebrate this year’s Christmas and New Year with decorum.
He said the festive season is mostly considered a risky period because of the increasing numbers of people crisscrossing the nation before and during the yuletide amidst the excitement and merry making.
Ya Naa observed this development is always characterised by total disrespect and violation of road traffic rules and regulations 2012 (LI 2180) resulting in some fatalities and various degrees of injuries.
In a press statement, the Dagbon King indicated that the statistics on road accidents and incidents of traffic related deaths on our roads is horrifying and must stop now.
“Motorcyclists and tricyclists should wear their crash helmets as well and also comply with all road safety rules and regulations during this festive season. His Majesty admonishes that accident-free Christmas is possible, provided road users will adhere to road safety regulations.”
The Dagbon Overlord has therefore commended the Road Safety Authority, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) and all stakeholders for the collaboration with the Gbewa Palace throughout the year to enforce the law and order in the region.
‘Stay Alive’ Campaign
Meanwhile, the Dagbon King’s statement comes in the wake of the National Road Safety Authority launching the “Stay Alive” campaign in Tamale.
The campaign is engineered to advocate for a quick response from policymakers and implementers as well as agencies responsible for enforcement and monitoring to ensure greater compliance with road traffic regulations and standards in Ghana.
The NRSA Northern Regional Director, Mr Mohammed Abdul Samad during the launch stated human errors constitutes 90% of road crashes, stating the actions and inactions of people decide the cause and severity of carnage on the roads.
