AMA begins campaign against speeding

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety, have launched a road safety campaign to increase awareness on the dangers of speeding.

The Campaign, “School Girl”, with the tagline ‘Don’t Exceed the Speed Limit,’ is aimed at using mass media tools backed by tight enforcement on selected road corridors to deter drivers from speeding above the posted speed limits.

Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, in his remarks at the launch of the campaign in Accra, said road crashes still remain the leading cause of death for those aged 15 to 29 years around the world.

“In Ghana, there were about approximately six road traffic deaths recorded daily in 2016.

“In Accra our roads saw 1,812 crashes in 2018 alone. Of all of the victims of these traffic crashes, pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists made up 84% of those who died on the roads in 2018,” he said.

He noted that research has shown the rate of speeding in the city is increasing by the day with 77% of vehicles exceeding speed limits.

“This mean three out of every four drivers on our roads are breaking the law and traveling at unsafe speed,” he added.

Mr. Sowah said the AMA has therefore taken steps to address the issue including the installation of speed limit signs to ensure that drivers know how fast they should be travelling on different types of roads in the city.

“The MTTD has also been equipped with sis new Lifeloc alcohol breathalyzers, 400 directional batons, 400 reflective vests, 100 traffic cones and 100 police directional signs,” the Mayor of Accra added.

He called on all stakeholders to own the vision of making Accra a safe and resilient city by collaborating with the AMA to achieve a crash free roads.

Chief Sustainability Resilience Officer and City lead for the AMA and the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety, Desmond Appiah said latest reports and analysis show that motorbikes have currently overtaken the four-wheel drives as those who speed,” he added.

He cautioned drivers against reckless driving in the capital, as the festive season approaches and stressed that the economic and social consequences of road deaths, should be a major concern for city administrators, road safety agencies and health professionals.

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