While in 2018, within three days, from December 24 to 26, the country recorded 98 crashes on the roads with about 33 people dying in the process.

Police Superintended Alexander Kweku Obeng, the National Director in charge of Education, Research and Training at the MTTD, said this at a meeting of officials of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) with the transport operators in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region.

They met with operators of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and O.A Travel and Tours to sensitize them on the need to be vigilant on the road in order to help minimize crashes on the road especially during this festive season.

Supt. Obeng said over the years, Ghana had recorded a worrying trend of road crashes particularly during festive seasons such as Christmas and Easter and the road safety authorities were working to reduce high numbers recorded each year especially during the Christmas period.

He said as part of measures being taken to address the problem, the road safety authorities had launched a road safety awareness campaign that was being supported by the Ghana Police Service with its initiative Operation Father Christmas.

Supt Obeng said the Ghana Police Service would be deploying about 15,000 personnel across the communities to ensure that people abided by road safety and traffic regulations during the Christmas period to protect lives on the road.

He called on stakeholders and members of the public to foster stronger cooperation and collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority to help reduce road crashes in the country.

"Safety on the road is a shared responsibility and every Ghanaian has to play their roles well to ensure it works," he said.

Mr Daniel Wuaku, Deputy Director, Planning and Programmes at NRSA, stated that responsibility was the surest way to ensuring that the phenomenon of road crashes was reduced.

He explained that when all stakeholders including the law enforcement agencies, transport operators, drivers and passengers among others play critical roles in a responsible manner, road crashes would be reduced.

He cautioned drivers to avoid driving when they had taken a bit too much alcohol and urged the passengers to report actions of any person that was likely to cause accidents to the appropriate authorities to ensure that people abide by the rules of road safety.

Mr Dennis Yeribu, the Upper East Regional Director, NRSA, commended the partners of road safety campaign in Region for making the Region to record zero fatalities during last year's Christmas and urged the transport operators to work hard to even get better.