The increase in the number of fatalities resulting from road crashes in the Upper East Region is a source of worry and all stakeholders must work together to reverse the trend. Mr Zachariah Laari, Upper East Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) expressed this concern to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a sensitisation exercise at Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality on road safety and regulations. The exercise was part of the Authority's efforts to promote compliance and ensure safety on the road among road users ahead of the Christmas festivities. Statistics from the Authority revealed that from January to October 2023, the region recorded 55 deaths from road crashes, representing 61.76 per cent as compared to 34 deaths within the same period in 2022. There has also been an increase in the number of vehicles involved in road crashes from 184 to 196 and an increase in the number of pedestrian knockdowns from 17 to 25 within the same periods. The data also revea led that motorcycles contribute most road crashes, representing 89 per cent and pedestrian knockdowns also contributing to about 10 percent of the road fatalities within the first 10 months of this year. Mr Laari noted that there was a reduction in the number of fatalities resulting from road crashes at the national level from 1,985 to 1,839 within the same period, but the regional figures continued to rise and there was the need to work to address the situation. He mentioned over-speeding, disregard for road and traffic regulations, use of wrong routes, and non-usage of helmets as major causes of increased road crashes in the region. 'Our region is peculiar because most of the accidents are caused by motorbikes and tricycles and a lot are inconsiderate in their driving, they use pedestrian walkways and knock down innocent people and some also ride without mirrors and helmet,' he lamented. He explained that apart from engaging drivers and motorbike and tricycle riders at lorry stations, the Authority had been engaging lots of institutions such as the churches, mosques, schools among others to intensify road safety campaigns to ensure compliance. He said ensuring road safety was a shared responsibility and encouraged all stakeholders, including the media, to help educate the public on the negative impacts of road crashes on the individual, family, community, and the nation. Mr Majeed Goriba, Secretary of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Navrongo Lorry Station, commended the NRSA for extending the sensitisation to their outfit and noted that it would go a long way to refresh their minds to ensure compliance on the road. He said the leadership of the GPRTU had been working and educating their drivers on the importance of safe driving and noted that continuous collaboration among the stakeholders was key to reducing crashes on the road. Source: Ghana News Agency