Mr Noble Appiah, Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), has urged Ghanaians to continue to play their respective roles in road safety to minimize vehicular accidents.
He said road safety was a collective responsibility and urged passengers and drivers to always remember to wear their seat belts and to observe traffic regulations.
Mr Appiah gave the advice when he launched the Brong-Ahafo Regional 2009 Christmas Road Safety Campaign with the slogan "Arrive Alive" at the Techiman main lorry park on Tuesday.
He said Ghanaians between the ages of 18 and 55 years and 25 percent of school children died annually through accidents".
The Executive Director noted that road accidents could be avoided if drivers adhered to traffic regulations and avoided wrongful overtaking, overloading and speeding.
He appealed to passengers to report such drivers to the police or transport unions.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Seth Charles Oteng, Regional Police Commander, noted that Christmas and Easter festivities were seen as periods of brisk businesses with an increase in the number of people on the roads.
He called for strict observance by drivers, other motorists and pedestrians of the rules and regulations on the use of the roads.
The Regional Police Commander gave the assurance that the police would strictly enforce all rules and regulations and asked transport unions, NRSC and the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) to assist.
Mr Daniel Wuaku, Regional Manager of NRSC said the regional office of the Commission in collaboration with the Regional Road Safety Committee and other District and Municipal road safety committees had drawn up a number of
activities to educate and create more awareness.
"We are working closely with the police, DVLA, the road agencies, transport unions, Regional Coordinating Council and the assemblies to tackle road safety", he added.
A 13-member Techiman Municipal Road Safety Committee made up of representatives of security agencies, Ghana Education Service, transport
unions and the Techiman Municipal Assembly was inaugurated.
About 100 selected schools children paraded the streets of Techiman wielding placards with inscriptions such as "put on your helmet and don't lose your head this Xmas", "wear your seat belt always", "avoid wrongful overtaking, it kills" and "stay alive, enjoy accident-free Xmas."