Video of an accident scene. Video credit: youtube.com
The sight of ambulances and police cars racing to the scene of a road accident in the city or on a busy highway is becoming so common in modern countries that few heads now turn even in idle curiosity.This is part of the tragedy of road accidents. They occur so often that they are taken for granted and the public has grown accustomed to them. A fire outbreak, murder or riot is still front page news. A serious motor accident resulting in gruesome injuries and loss of lives however gets a small back page paragraph, except to the relatives of those involved, whose lives maybe shattered and reduced to pitiful sadness, often poverty.
Picture credit: roadsafetyinghana.blogspot.com
Road accidents have become one of the leading causes of deaths in Ghana and the world. Efforts by government to reduce road accidents have been coupled with road safety awareness and education. Although it has helped in away it has not totally curbed this menace because of its increased occurrences. Statistics from the National Road Safety Commission revealed that there were 19 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles in 2010. In 201l, 2,330 road accidents were recorded bringing it to an average of 7 accidents per day across the country. By November ending in 2012, 13,535 crashes had been recorded resulting in over 2,069 deaths in Ghana. In December 2012 alone, 246 people died and 1,260 were injured in car accidents. According to the commission, the major cause of road accidents in Ghana was attributed to over-speeding which accounted for 60% of car crashes in the country.
Furthermore, while some Ghanaians attribute road accidents to some superstitious and religious beliefs, to the Road Safety Management Services, the major causes of road accidents in Ghana are over-speeding, poor driving skills, talking on mobile phones while driving, broken down vehicles on our roads, fatigue driving by long distance drivers, drunk driving, ignoring road markings and signs. These reasons without any shred of doubt are all credible facts accepted by all. Over-speeding accounts for most of the causes of road accidents daily. This happens when drivers deliberately drive above regulated speed limits either to show off, meet deadlines or just for fun. In doing so, they put their lives and that of many other road users at risk.
Picture credit: Ghanabusinessnews.com
The inability of some drivers to understand or obey road signs is also another factor. Following appropriate rules such as road signs and traffic lights when one reaches intersections or hills will help save lives. Driving under the influence of alcohol slows down reactions and in most countries, the penalty for this is great. It is fatal to drive under the influence because a small quantity is enough to make one loose control behind the wheels. Since they say prevention is better than cure, it is essential for drivers to adhere to this regulation in order to prevent road accidents and loss of human lives
The consequences of road accidents over the years have proved to be very dire and devastating to victims and those affected. It leaves a lasting on many with bad aftermaths of road accidents such as loss of lives, amputation, regrets, financial breakdown and most of all everlasting pain. No solution of the problem no matter how much efficient and needed can erase the pain and help these individuals who have been affected greatly due to road accidents in one way or another.
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