Twenty-five people were killed in 120 road crashes across the country during the just-ended Easter festivities, whilst 93 sustained various degrees of injury.
He stated that 26 pedestrians were also knocked down by vehicles during the same period. However no road accidents were recorded in Kwahu in the Eastern Region during the festivities.
The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service which confirmed the figures said there were 17 fatalities on the roads during the celebrations last year.
Accidents recorded from April 14 to 17 this year, involved 73 commercial vehicles, 91 private cars and 30 motor cycles.
The breakdown of the accidents in the regions are; Greater Accra 48, Tema – seven,Eastern -16,Central -six,Western -10,Brong-Ahafo – four,Ashanti -18, Volta -seven,Northern -two with Upper West and Upper East recording one each.
The Head of Education Research and Training of the MTTU, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Alexander Obeng told The Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday that the causes of the accidents included speeding, indiscipline on the roads and unlawful changing of lanes.
DSP Obeng said as part of efforts to ensure sanity on the roads, the police in collaboration with stakeholders in the transport sector including the Driver Vehicle and Licenses Authority and the National Road Safety Commission have embarked on its vigorous sensitisation programmes.
“We will sustain the pre-Easter education to ensure drivers obey best practices,” adding that “police on the roads will ensure the enforcement of the law.”
DSP Obeng said the MTTD has observed that some drivers either do not have licenses or were using unapproved ones, and cautioned that they soon would embark on an exercise to arrest and prosecute them.
He further warned vehicle owners not to release their vehicles to unlicensed drivers. DSP Obeng urged drivers to tow their vehicles off the road when they develop mechanical faults, adding that the police can be contacted on emergencies lines such as 191 and 18555 for support.
He urged drivers to abide by the road safety regulations to ensure that precious lives and property were saved. Relatedly, our correspondent, David Kodjo, reports from Koforidua that 32 people died in 275 vehicular accidents in the Eastern Region alone between January and March this year.
The Eastern Regional MTTU, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ebenezer Larbi who disclosed this, added that 495 people were also injured while 101 pedestrians were knocked down by vehicles within the same period.
Speaking at a regional road safety education programme, ACP Larbi described the situation as very alarming.
The campaign was organised by the commission to create awareness and reduce the number of road accidents.
The Eastern Regional Road Safety Manager, Kwasi Tibi Yirenkyi said the region has some of the most dangerous roads and urged drivers to exercise caution when plying on them.