A TOTAL of 399 road accidents have been recorded in the Volta Region between January 1 and September 30, this year, claimed the lives of 83 people.
The deceased included nine pedestrians who were either walking along or crossing the roads.
The Volta Regional Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTD), Chief Superintendent Stephen Delaporte, disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times in Ho, yesterday.
He said that the 167 people suffered serious injuries in the accidents in which 151 others sustained minor wounds.
According to Chief Superintendent Delaporte, 25 commercial vehicles, 18 private cars and 47 motorcycles and tricycles were involved in the mishaps which resulted in the fatalities.
The rest were the vehicles and motorcycle and tricycles caused the serious and minor injuries to the victims, he added.
The Regional MTTD Commander mentioned Akwettey, near Kpetoe, on the Ho Aflao road; the Anyirawase-Kporvi portion of the Ho-Accra road; Fume along the Ho-Hohoe road; Aflao-Accra road and Akatsi-Tefle road as the main accidents’ spots.
He attributed the accidents to poor drainage along the roads, the lack of effective lighting systems along the roads, the absence of markings on the road to demarcate the lanes and numerous pothole and depressions on the roads.
Chief Sup Delaporte also cited over-speeding and reckless overtaking on the part of some drivers, and illegal speed ramps on the roads as some of the causes of accidents.
In Fume, in particular, he said that heavy fog on the Avatime Mountains contributed to accidents.
So far, the MTTD Commander said that the 16 drivers had been prosecuted in connection with road accidents, including one who was slammed with a custodian sentence.
Some of the drivers were sentenced to fines totalling GH¢ 23,300 while the rest of the cases were with the Attorney General’s Department awaiting advice, he told the Ghanaian Times.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
