A 240-page book on Road Safety was launched on Wednesday with a call on vehicle owners and drivers to step up efforts to improve the security of road transport in the country.
The book, authored by Mr Justice M. Y. Amegashie, Chief Executive Officer of Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA), is titled "The Vehicle Owner and Driver: The Law and Conventions on Road Transport."
Launching the book in Accra, Mr Justice S. A. Brobbey, a Supreme Court Judge, said some road experts had drawn conclusions that causes of motor accidents in the country could be traced to two main factors.
"According to the experts, some drivers drive recklessly to impress other road users of their skills which unfortunately resulted in casualties."
Mr Justice Brobbey said in addition, these drivers used a hand to drive while using the other to either fidget their mobile phones or an electric gadget.
"These drivers lose concentration in the process thereby causing accidents on the road," he said.
The second cause of road accidents, the experts said was impatience on the part of drivers and other road users in the application of rules and regulations on the road.
"Drivers are impatient on the road as they speed and try to wrongfully overtake others. Drivers' mate overload and hang on vehicles in contravention to the Road Safety Act," Mr Justice Brobbey said.
He said road planners and designers were partly to be blamed for the indiscipline on the road, stressing that they had failed to construct enough bus stops and parking spaces for road users.
Mr Justice Brobbey expressed the hope that the book would increase people's awareness of conventions on road transport and improve safety.
Mr David Dekutse, a proof reader, who reviewed the book, said it contained valuable information comprising 14 tips on how to buy a used car.
Mr Amegashie underscored the importance of road transport and its contribution towards socio-economic development.
He stressed that laws and regulations could be used to promote the safety of road transport to augment Ghana's economy.
Linking the relationship between road crash and poverty, Mr Amegashie said current rate of fatality was 21 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles.
"The national goal is to reach single digit by 2015," he said, adding that to achieve the feat, a multi-faceted approach is required to manage the situation.
The first copy was auctioned for GH¢1,000.