The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in the Upper West Region has marked this year’s annual Road Safety Awareness Week (RSAW) campaign to raise awareness about public safety on the road.

Scores of people marched through major streets of the regional capital, Wa, carrying placards  with inscriptions such as “obey zebra crossing, speak up and save lives, over speeding kills, wear your crash helmet for your safety, stay focused, don’t get distracted, be your boss and be informed”.

Those who took part in the match included representatives of students, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Ghana National Fire Service, Immigration Service, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Red Cross Society, National Service Personnel (NASPA), Ghana Prison Service and National Ambulance Service with the Emergency Medical Team.

The event, which was held under the theme: “Empowering passengers and pedestrians to demand road safety,” was organized with the aim of educating road users to obey road safety signs and symbols, key precautions to preventing road accidents.

They later converged at ministries where Mohammed Abdul-Samad, the Regional NRSC Manager, addressed them highlighting on the urgent need to adhere to road safety rules.

He expressed profound gratitude to the group for coming out in their numbers to support the celebration of the national event aimed at raising awareness about passenger and pedestrian safety ahead of the 2018 yuletide.

“Christmas is coming and we need to be careful on how to ply the road,” he said and urged passengers to speak up anytime a driver was over-speeding or receiving phone calls while driving or ignoring road signs -“all these things are offences that are punishable by law”.

As at September this year, he said, 40 road accident deaths were recorded but that figure showed a drastic decrease as compared to previous years that registered a higher number.

Mr Mohammed Munib, a participant and staff of NADMO, told the Ghana News Agency that the walk produced health benefit as well as sending the road safety campaign message across to the public.

“As time goes on, we shall achieve our target by reducing road accident in the region drastically,” he said: “The advocacy should be strengthened especially this time as Christmas is approaching”.

Mr Sabogu Samini Samuel, National Service Personnel, said the use of crash helmets and protective gears could help prevent significant deaths.