What kinds of ailments could drivers who get involved in road crashes be suffering from and how did that lead to their deaths?

A study by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology might provide answers.

The findings published in the 2021 edition of SAGE journal Clinical Pathology has found cardiovascular diseases to be the major conditions among drivers who died through road crashes.

“I said to myself, I’ve seen a lot of road crashes and I ask, what we can do to help reduce the carnage on our roads,” he mentioned his motivation.

The study which examined 127 driver deaths from 2009 to 2014 found that 44.08% of the cases were due to cardiovascular diseases.

This was followed by 15.75 % of respiratory diseases.

“A lot of them had systematic diseases. These diseases ranged from dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertensive heart disease, cerebral aneurysm, cor pulmonale, mitral valve stenosis.

“For instance, if somebody is epileptic and driving, at any given time he gets an episode, it can be very dangerous,” lead scientists, Dr. Ossei Sampene said.

Dr. Sampene recommends a second look at the license issuance regime.

“There must be a serious look at the way licenses are issued to drivers. Those who are going to issue license to prospective drivers, not only will they do eye examination but must go deeper. Others might have glaucoma.

Dr. Sampene wants the creation of mini clinics at lorry stations and rest stops to check for instance, blood pressures of drivers.

He believes it can even lead to reduction of unemployment among nurses and other paramedics.

“We can set up mini clinics in the various lorry stations and rest stops to check the blood pressures of long journey drivers.

 “This can even reduce unemployment among nurses and government who could be paid some allowance while awaiting posting,” he added.