Drivers and operators of heavy duty vehicles have been advised to drive responsibly in order to avert road accidents and their resultant lost of lives.
Mr Matthew Adzesi Danomah, Chairman of the West Africa Transporters Association of ECOWAS, gave the advice at a one-day sensitization workshop organized by the Western Regional Office of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) for over 200 haulage drivers at Apowa near Takoradi on Tuesday.
He said that “a good driver always travels and comeback home safely without hitches” adding that the time had come for heavy duty drivers to change public perception that they were usually careless on the road and as a result, cause avoidable accidents.
Alhaji Sumani Mbo, Western Regional Manager, National Road Safety Commission, said at least four persons perished everyday in road accidents which account for 1,600 deaths annually.
“This sensitization workshop is, therefore, very timely particularly because of the spate of crashes that had happened over last two months across the country”, he added.
Alhaji Mbo said that most accidents usually claimed the lives of the productive workforce of the country and thus unleashing untold socio-economic hardship on their families.
He said it is mandatory for drivers to take compulsory rest of about 20 to 30 minutes after four hours of continuous driving and that all drivers were required by law to drive for only eight hours a day, he said.
Alhaji Mbo said behaviour of road users, nature of the roads, condition of vehicles and mechanical defects were common causes of accidents and called for multi-sectoral approach to curtail road accidents.
Mr Godson Wemegah, Regional Licensing Officer, DVLA called for proper maintenance of vehicles to avoid road accidents.