Road safety must begin with us the users

Dear Editor,

Before we start blaming the government, the authorities and how bad our roads are, perhaps we should first ask ourselves what role we played in making our roads unsafe.

Road safety is often discussed as though it is solely the responsibility of the government and law enforcement agencies, neglecting our roles we play to make the roads unsafe.

While authorities have an important role to play, the behaviour of individual road users remains equally important.

A driver who speed, overtakes recklessly, uses phone while driving or drives when tired is making a decision that could affect many lives.

A motorcyclist who ignored traffic light and also refuse to wear a helmet, passengers who encourage the driver to speed and the pedestrians who crosses a busy road carelessly can also contribute to danger.

We must therefore develop a strong culture of personal responsibilities on our roads.

Drivers should obey speed limit, avoid distractions and ensure their vehicles are road worthy, passengers should also not encourage reckless driving simply because they want to arrive at their destination quickly whiles pedestrians must also exercise greater caution when crossing roads.

 At the same time authorities must continue to improve road infrastructures, enforce traffic regulations consistently and educate the public about responsible road use.

Road safety cannot succeed through enforcement alone; it requires change in attitude. If each road user understand that another person’s life may depend on their decision, our road can become safer.

Let us not wait for another crash before we remember the value of life. Thank you for the space.

From Akwasi Aaron

Accra.