The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) Thursday called on travelers and other road users to support efforts to control drunk-driving and stem crashes and fatalities on the highways.
Mr Gabriel Kwame Okyere, the Principal Assistant, Transport, Bono Regional Office of the Authority, advised commuters to remain watchful and observe the movements and behaviour of commercial drivers at the various lorry terminals.
He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Sunyani that drunk driving remained a serious road safety offence punishable by law.
Substance abuse and alcoholism does not only blur vision but also lead to fatigue and subsequently contribute to crashes on the road.
Mr Okyere expressed regret that alcoholism and substance abuse among drivers were contributing to high cases of accidents in the country, saying 59 people died in road accidents from January to September this year.
Within the period, 132 others sustained various degrees of injury through 108 road accidents, involving 160 vehicles.
There were 10 pedestrian knockdowns and 64 motorcycle accidents.
In 2021, 70 people died and 186 persons got injured through 144 crashes, involving 279 vehicles. The year recorded seven pedestrian knockdowns and 81 motorcycle accidents.
Preliminary investigations, Mr Okyere said, indicated that most of the accidents were as a result of human error, including substance abuse, alcoholism, driver negligence and speeding.
He called for effective collaboration between road safety agencies, transport unions and relevant institutions and stakeholders for intensified campaigns against the menace.
He urged drivers to observe road and traffic rules and regulations to minimise crashes and fatalities on the road.
