Stakeholders at the launch of the 2023 Stop, Think and Drive” road safety campaign initiative in Accra
Vivo Energy Ghana, a shell licensee distributor of high-quality fuels and lubricants in collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and transporters has launched the 2023 “Stop, Think and Drive” campaign initiative designed to minimize road fatalities recorded in the country.
Vivo Energy for three years has been at the forefront of promoting road safety initiatives across the country, consistently emphasizing the significance of responsible driving behavior.
This year’s initiative designed to educate transporters on the application of First Aid kits during emergency events was born out of recent provisional statistics from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service which highlight a reduction in road traffic crashes, injuries, and deaths.
The data indicated that 2022 recorded 14,960 crashes, 15,690 injuries, and 2,373 deaths representing 7.55%, 1.54%, and 20.11% reductions respectively compared to the year 2021 which is partly attributed to the ‘Stop, Think and Drive’ road safety campaign initiative.
“The Stop, Think and Drive initiative is a reminder for all road users to pause, consider the consequences, and make responsible decisions behind the wheel. We believe that achieving the goal of protecting lives and communities will need a collective approach, involving education, enforcement, and a comprehensive approach from stakeholders involving transporters,” said Kader Maiga Managing Director, Vivo Energy, Ghana.
“The initiative aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 of reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by road traffic accidents by 2030, Vivo Energy is committed to supporting the government and its agencies in curbing the menace on the roads,” he added.
Mr. Kader Maiga indicated that this year’s event will equip some 1,000 high-risk commercial drivers and motorcyclists across the Greater Accra, Western, Ashanti, and Eastern regions.
“By imparting knowledge of how to administer first aid to passengers we aim to instill a sense of responsibility which will empower drivers and cyclists with the tools they need to make safer decisions on the road,” he said.
Acting NRSA Director General, David Osafo Adonteng on his part advocated against the use of drugs by drivers which is the main contributor to excessive road accidents in the country. He further highlighted other factors including speeding excessively, overtaking wrongly, tired driving, inattention, and distraction.
“The road safety officials have always sensitized drivers on the need to stay away from alcohol and other hard drugs anytime they want to go on a journey. We have made a lot of progress with the advocacy programme which has witnessed a reduction in fatalities recorded. Still, we can do better to prevent accidents from occurring on our roads” he said.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke