An environmental scientist is recommending the use of plastic tires as a remedy to reduce the spate of road accidents in Ghana.

Known as ‘Otanipolean’ tires, the product is developed from special synthetic fibres that make bursting impossible.

The call by Kwadwo Damoah comes in the wake of increased road accidents causing the country 1.6 percent of its GDP annually.

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From January to October 2020, there were almost 12,100 road traffic accidents involving over 20,000 vehicles. The crashes led to 2,080 fatalities and 12,380 injuries, according to records from Statista.

Burst tires have been identified among leading causes of these accidents on Ghana’s road.

To address this, an environmental scientist, Kwadwo Damoah, is recommending the use of plastic tires as a solution.

"These will be modern cars that will eliminate accidents caused by tire bursts must be developed to make bursting impossible."

He continued that,"...whilst they functioned far efficiently than the olden day tires, these tires are made purely of special synthetic fibers that made them inflatable. He continued that, "they needed no air to be inflated. They were very light, very smooth and resisted wearing and tearing. These tires were fixed to the vehicle such that their complete removal was practically impossible."

Accident-free Vehicles

Another interesting feature, according to Mr Damoah, the interior moldings and decorations of ‘otanipolean’ vehicles.

The whole interior of the vehicle was lined with a thick foam-like material. This cover was some six to ten centimeters thick, and was meant to effectively prevent injuries as a first precaution during accidents".

Mr. Damoah revealed these at the launch of his book titled: “Extreme Future–Earth In A Giant Knowledge Leap”, which examines countless concerns of the future of human society as it speculates numerous concepts. It also contains solutions to Ghana’s environmental and housing challenges.

The book also professes solutions to Ghana’s education, energy, health and cybersecurity challenges.