Ho, April 12, GNA – The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) Friday commended the Volta Region for achieving about 50 per cent reduction in road crash fatalities in the first quarter of 2013.
The Region recorded 27 deaths in the first quarter of 2013 as against 56 deaths the same period in 2012.
Mr Abaraham Zaato, Assistant Planning Officer in charge of Research and Evaluation, described the feat as ‘very significant’ and praised the efforts of all stakeholders involved in helping to improve the situation.
He said this at a two-day refresher training programme for selected drivers in the Region.
The training programme was part of the package for driver unions which won awards at the last Road Safety Awards ceremony.
The Unions are the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Progressive Transport Association (PROTOA) and Metro Mass Transit (MMT).
Mr Zaato said the training was to ‘enhance the perception of drivers about safety on the road’ and build their capacity on defensive driving.
He asked driver unions to implement their operational standards fully to reduce road crashes in the country.
Mr Isaac Ocran, a Facilitator from the National Drivers Academy, said the drivers were taken through the highway codes, environmental driving, observation, anticipation and hazard perception among others.
He said though bad roads contribute to road crashes, good and professional drivers could reduce such occurrences.
Mr Sebastian Akyeampong, Volta Regional Manager of NRSC, attributed the 50 per cent reduction in road crash fatalities in the first quarter in the Region to regular road checks by stakeholders and road safety education at schools and bus terminals.
GNA