Mr. Daniel Wuaku, Brong-Ahafo Regional Coordinator of National Road Safety Commission on Wednesday advised political parties to observe road safety measures to help minimize road traffic carnage during this year's elections campaign.
He said research conducted by the Commission showed an increase in road accidents more especially, during election years, saying, "every single life lost means a vote is lost".
Mr. Wuaku gave the advice at a forum organised by the Commission to involve political parties in road safety issues ahead of the 2008 general elections.
Representatives of the New Patriotic Party, National Democratic Congress, People's National Convention, Ghana National Party, Democratic People's Party, Convention People's Party and the Reform Patriotic Democrats attended the forum.
Mr. Wuaku explained that ensuring road safety was a collective responsibility of the general public and the Commission and expressed regret that the former had, in recent times isolated the latter in the performance of this responsibility.
He disclosed that 1,600 deaths occurred annually through road traffic accidents, which cost the nation 1.6 percent of its Gross Domestic Product.
"In the first quarter of 2008, Brong Ahafo recorded 98 road accidents causing 58 deaths as against 143 accidents that took 40 lives in the previous year", he stated.
He said Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra, Central and Brong-Ahafo regions alone accounted for 74 percent of road accidents in the country. He identified lack of funds as the main challenge confronting the Commission in the discharge of its duties.
Mr. Wuaku later presented road safety codes developed by the Commission to guide the political parties during their campaign trips.
Mr. Kwasi Amega, Regional Officer of the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority, advised politicians to ensure that their drivers had valid insurance cover and also serviced their vehicles before embarking on campaign trips.
"Accidents do not just happen, they are caused", he stressed and admonished drivers to carefully observe road signs and to drive responsibly to curb the spate of road accidents.
Mr. Amega spoke against the use of mobile phones while driving and urged the public to desist from such behaviour.