To reduce deaths on the road through crash – Let us place value on human life (Final)

Head-on-collision

BELOW the front page of Monday, the 2nd of June 2025 publication of The Ghanaian Times had a caption ‘10 killed, others injured in Sogakope-Akatsi road crash – page 3’. The caption is very apt and precise. The passengers did die, but they did not die on their own but were killed.

The first paragraph stated as follows ‘A total of 10 people were killed and others sustained injuries when 15-seater Ford Transit which was travelling from Accra to Aflao crashed into a tipper truck on Sogakope to Akatsi stretch on Thursday. Preliminary investigations revealed that the Ford Transit tried to overtake four vehicles in his lane and as a result collided with a moving tipper truck resulting in loss of lives and property.

How do you overtake four vehicles ahead of you? More so, this attempt to overtake was in the night. How sure are you on the location of the approaching traffic and the speed at which it was travelling and the speed at which the vehicles you wanted to overtake were travelling. Human lives were sacrificed on Thursday, May 29, 2025 because we do not place value on our lives. When shall we learn? Head on collisions continue to claim lives.

Head-on-collisions are responsible for more deaths on the road. Head-on-collisions occur when two vehicles travelling in opposite directions collide. Amongst the various road crashes, it is this occurrence which claim more lives.

Let us for the purpose of this article states that each of the opposing motor vehicles were travelling at 100 kilometres per hour. The resultant collision is not based on 100 kilometre per hour but rather 200 kilometres per hour. That explains why whenever the two are in collision, the speed of the vehicle pushed if not throw the occupants in hitting each other or the inward part of the vehicle more so if they are not buckled up.

Majority of head-on-collisions occur in the evening or at night when visibility is reduced. This assertion brings back to memory the fundamental principle in prevention of road crash namely See and Be Seen. For it is estimated that 90 per cent of decisions that are taken on the road depends on what we see.

It brings to memory with apologies to the families whose expectations were brought to a halt when five Law Students of the Central University were crashed to death during a head on collision when they were close to the University.

In the night, what you can see is the headlight of an approaching vehicle. You will not be able to know, determine and be exact as to its location and how far it is from you let alone the speed at which it is travelling. You therefore take unreasonable risks.

At Hohoe in the Volta Region, a teacher who was posted to a school was riding a motorcycle collided with a bus with only one headlight and a newly qualified teacher lost his life. Was the Bus Driver aware that only one of his head lights was functioning? Did he place value on human life that those he was sharing the road with knew that it was a bus that was approaching or a motorcycle.

It is expected of a driver of motor vehicle that at 6pm or before he or she should check if the headlights of the motor vehicle are functioning before moving the vehicle on to the road. If you place value on human life, you would undertake this simple routine or procedure checks.

Seatbelt

On page four of the Ghana Highway Code of 1974 entitled General, Paragraph 23 states as follows ‘Fit seat belts in your car and make sure they are always used even on short trips’. As at 1974, road users in our beloved country were advised to fit seatbelts in their cars and should be used even on short trips.

In 1981, Cote D’Ivoire our neighbour enacted seatbelt legislation compelling front seat occupants to wear seatbelts. Then they were compelled to amend the then existing law to cover rear seat passengers in cars and 4×4 as a result of the death of a Cabinet Minister who was at the rear of the car got killed as he was not buckled at the time of the road crash.

On page 40 of the South African Highway Code published by STRUIK Publishers in 1994 stated on page 40 stated that ‘seatbelts must be worn at all times.

Ex-President Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States of America, during his weekly radio address to the nation, on December 28, 1996, spoke about seat belt. Specifically, he asked all Americans to always wear seatbelt as a first of defense against traffic injuries and fatalities. Also to always keep children 12 years and lower buckled in the back seat where they are safer. It demonstrates how much value the ex-President placed on human life and specifically the lives of Americans.

I vividly remember that whilst working at the erstwhile National Road Safety Committee, I participated in a two-week Road Safety Training Programme in Sweden. The participants came from various countries in Africa and other developing countries. We were informed of the effectiveness of wearing seatbelts to prevent deaths on the road.

Upon my return, I tried to solicit support of my colleagues at the National Secretariat which was then located at the Nima Police Station. When I raised the issue that we should champion legislation, one of my colleagues debunked the idea and said trotros do not have seatbelts.

Notwithstanding that I sent a Memorandum to then Minister of Transport and Communications, Hon. Edward K. Saliah of blessed memory who accepted the proposal and submitted it to Cabinet. Cabinet upheld the proposal but advised that there should be an intensive and consistent education mounted by the erstwhile National Road Safety Committee.

The then National Road Safety Committee accepted the directive and complied with it by organizing road safety education on Radio particularly on GBC’s 95.7, Uniq Fm and The Ghanaian Times mounting and erecting of billboards at intersections to inform and educate road users to wear seatbelts. The effort to educate road users was also supported by the State Insurance Company, Toyota Ghana Ltd and Japan Motors etc.

The Ghana Highway Code published in 1974 advised users of motor vehicles to fit seat belts in their vehicles and wear it however short the journey. Notwithstanding this provision, it took us as a country 30 years before the wearing of seat belt became mandatory with the enactment of Road Traffic Act 2004, Act 683.

Information available indicates that Australia enacted seat belt law in 1970, Japan – 1971, Singapore 1973, Cote D’Ivoire 1981, New Zealand 1972, France 1973.

Two MPs who were members of the two major political parties NDC and NPP were involved in separate crashes in the then Northern Region and left the scene without injury because they wore seatbelt.

In conclusion, it is appropriate to state that ex-President Bill Clinton has set the pace for what leadership must do to save lives. Also, the cabinet of Cote D’Ivoire who initiated measure for the amendment of the legislation of seat belt to cover rear seat passengers after the death of a Cabinet Minister who was a rear seat passenger at the time of the road crash.

We also lost a female Member of Parliament during the first Parliament of the 4th Republic. It will not be out of place if my mate of the class of 1982 of the Ghana School of Law Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament if he directs Honourable Members and staff of Parliament House wear seat belts for it was Parliament that enacted the Road Traffic Act 2004 (Act 683).

Section 13 of the Act requires users of the motor vehicle should wear seat belts. It is also proper for the Executive and the Judiciary to do the same.

A friend of mine who was returning from a business trip, fell from the Ofankor Bridge into the valley. The airbag did not activate. He wore his seatbelt. He left the scene of the crash without any injury.

On the contrary, a female member of the 1st Parliament of the 4th Republic was travelling between Accra and the Central Region was involved in road crash. It was alleged that she was not wearing seat belt and she went through the wind shield on the Accra-Winneba Road and never survived. By-election was held. The funeral was attended by Members of Parliament, party faithful’s, relatives and friends.

Can you imagine the amount spent on the funeral and the by-election? The wearing of seatbelt could have saved the money spent. Seatbelt does not only save lives; it also saves and protect financial resources. Let us all place value on human life

BY J.M.Y AMEGASHIE, ESQ

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