The Ashanti Regional Office of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has launched the 2020 Christmas Road Safety Campaign at Konongo in the Asante-Akim Central Municipality.

The campaign dubbed “Arrive Alive” seeks to sensitise road users and the public on the need to prioritise road safety ahead of the yuletide as part of efforts to reduce fatalities on the road.

It was held at the Konongo Lorry Park, thereby attracting the attention of the target audience, which included drivers, passengers and the leadership of the various transport unions.

A simulation exercise that depicted a typical accident scene was conducted by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the National Ambulance Service (NAS) to educate the public on the roles of the emergency services.

The excited crowd, who appreciated the efforts put in by the emergency services to rescue accident victims, applauded the team of officials from the GNFS and NAS as they demonstrated accident scene operations.

Madam Simbiat Wiredu, the Ashanti Regional Director of NRSA, said the Authority envisaged that commercial drivers would attempt to make up for the lost time by increasing their number of trips in a day, which was often characterised by traffic violations.

She said it was because of this that the NRSA put many activities in place to intensify road safety sensitisation among all categories of road users, especially heading towards Christmas and New Year.

“Road traffic crashes in the region saw 382 lives lost from January to September 2020 out of a total number of 2,338 cases that were recorded,” she disclosed.

This, she said, was alarming and called on all stakeholders to prioritise road safety as we approach the numerous activities related to the 2020 electioneering campaign and the Christmas festivities.

She said road safety was a collective responsibility of every Ghanaian and must not be left for the NRSA, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Police.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Stephen Yeboah, the Konongo Divisional Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) Commander, said the carnage on roads was attaining alarming proportions.

He said the number of lives claimed by road accidents during this period was becoming higher than all other causes put together.

“We cannot sit down unconcerned and witness another trend of road accidents claiming lives this time around and the solution to this fight is a unified front by all stakeholders with the Police taking the lead,” he stated.

He assured the gathering that the Police was fully prepared and ready to police the roads to ensure an accident-free period on the division’s stretch of the highway.

Mrs Susan Akomeah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), implored road users including pedestrians to be extra careful on the road to avert needless accidents.

She underlined the need for drivers to respect other road users and strictly observe all road traffic regulations to help minimise road crashes.

The MCE counselled drivers to resist the temptations of over speeding to make good sales during the yuletide and reminded them that their families and the nation needed them alive.