The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), in partnership with the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) has announced plans to kick start an Easter mini-campaign from April 1.

This Easter mini campaign will use speeding PSAs produced by the NRSA and BIGRS to send out the message of speed reduction as well as reduction in some risky driving behaviours.

Ghana was selected in February 2020 as one of 15 countries to benefit from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ commitment to help prevent road traffic deaths over a six-year period, 2020-2025.

The initiative, which works both at the national and city levels focuses on Accra, Kumasi and Ghana at large.

With support from BIGRS, Accra and Kumasi now have a team of specialized technicians, in addition to access to an international network of organizations, which support the work of the national and municipal governments in improving data management, policy, infrastructure, inspection, enforcement and communication.

517 lives were lost, with 2,766 persons sustaining various degrees of injuries in the months of January and February this year to road traffic crashes. This is an increase of the 393 lives lost within the same period recorded last year.

In a statement, the NRSA said the aforementioned statistic should serve as a wake-up call.

"This unfortunate trend should not continue into the Easter season and after. Data available to the Authority suggests an increase in road traffic crashes and casualties during festive seasons as a result of heavy vehicular movement. Let us all work together by obeying all the Road Traffic Regulations to prevent all these crashes which have no benefits, but visit families with pain, anguish, and needless cost.

"Road Traffic Crashes have no respect for persons. We all remain at risk as long as we overlook the basics of safety practices. We urge that we all play our part as road users always focusing on the family we leave behind," the statement read.

The NRSA also encouraged all drivers to drive professionally and carefully while adhering to the road safety regulations.

"Let us observe the posted speed limits, reduce our speed in town to allow for safe pedestrian usage of the road. This way, we shall reduce pedestrian knockdowns during this Easter period. Let us also remember to abstain from drugs and drinking."